


Unwritten

by Miss_Kath90



Category: Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (TV 2018), Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (TV 2018) RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Holidays
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-06
Updated: 2020-09-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:41:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 41,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24573223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miss_Kath90/pseuds/Miss_Kath90
Summary: Tired of her aunt’s matchmaking attempts, Sabrina decides to tell a little white lie… and now she needs a boyfriend to accompany her to her hometown for the holidays.And who better to play that part than her good friend Nicholas Scratch?There is only one little problem… He had a crush on her since the day they met.When two friends pretend to be in a relationship, what could possibly go wrong?
Relationships: Nicholas Scratch/Sabrina Spellman
Comments: 67
Kudos: 118





	1. An imperfect plan

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone!!  
> I couldn't help but start a new fic, this one is quite different from "I knew you were trouble" but I hope you can enjoy it!

Sabrina woke up to the already well known sound of her alarm.

She stirred before opening her eyes, wrapped in her bedspreads, she was so warm and comfortable that she really didn't want to go out and face the cold December morning.

A whine escaped from her lips when the alarm sounded a second time, informing her in a very loudly way, that it was really time to get up if she didn't want to be late for her reunion that morning. Resigned, she pulled back the linens and got out of the bed, Salem, who was sleeping beside her, meowed in protest, he didn't like being awakened.

“Sorry, Salem.” she muttered to the cat who was already getting ready to go back to sleep.

She walked to her closet looking through her clothes for something warm to wear, once she made her decision, she left her clothes spread on the bed and headed to the bathroom to take a quick shower.

After showering, Sabrina dressed with an oversized pale rose sweater, a pair of jeans and brown ankle boots. She looked at the mirror while she dried and combed her short platinum hair. Apart from her signature red lipstick, she didn’t wear any makeup that day. She went to the kitchen to leave food and fresh water for Salem.

She went back to her room to take her bag and coat, she saw her cat now lying placidly in the middle of the bed, he only acknowledged her presence by barely lifting his head, he looked at her with his green eyes for a second before curling up again to continue sleeping. Sabrina shook her head thinking how lucky Salem was. She wrapped up in her coat and a scarf of the same color of her sweater, took her bag and left her apartment.

It was a cloudy morning but it wasn’t as cold as she first thought it could be. She decided to go to the editorial walking instead of taking a cab. She was in good time and craving for a coffee so she decided to stop by the small café down the street, she frequented the place since she moved in almost a year ago.

The café was appropriately decorated for the holidays with bright colorful lights, she delighted in the scents of cinnamon and ginger that lingered in the air. It made her feel a bit nostalgic, memories from home rushing back to her mind, her aunties’ house always smelled to spices in that time of the year thanks to her aunt Hilda’s baking skills.

She waited in line some minutes.

“Hi,” she smiled to the cashier “an americano and a caramel macchiato to go, please.” Sabrina said her order, while handing her credit card to the cashier. The boy nodded, wrote her name in the cups and charged. He handed her the credit card back.

She was waiting while the barista prepared her order when her phone started to ring. It was her aunt Hilda, she was surprised, usually her aunt called her in the afternoons.

“Hi sweetie.” aunt Hilda said from the other side of the line.

“Auntie, what a surprise! How are you?”

“I’m fine. How are you? How is life in the Big City?

“Everything is fine. Actually, right now I’m on my way to see my editor.”

“Oh, how is the book going, love?”

Sabrina walked to the counter to pick up her order after she heard her name, she thanked the barista with a nod and left the café.

“Today I’m going to see the final proposal for the cover. Once that’s ready, they could start printing”

“Oh, that’s great! And have you talked about a release date already?”

“Not yet, maybe we will discuss that today too, but I think the book is going to come out after the holidays.” Sabrina told her aunt in a wishful tone of voice. She still remembered her emotion when she had her first book signing.

“You’re happy.” her aunt said. It wasn’t a question, it was a statement “I’m so proud of you, Sabrina.”

She smiled at her aunt’s words.

“Thanks, auntie,” she said, Sabrina stopped in front of a red traffic light “and talking about preparations… How are the preparations for the wedding going?”

“Oh! Everything is going great, love. Actually, I’m going to meet with Cee in a bit to see some last minute details, and speaking of Cee… do you know who I ran into yesterday at the diner?”

Sabrina suppressed a groan. Here we go again, she thought, she had a pretty good idea about who her aunt was talking about.

“Who?” she asked pretending not knowing the answer already. It was so obvious.

“I saw sweet Harvey.” Hilda said, her voice wishfully “He was at Cee’s buying some comics books. You know how much he likes…”

“Auntie,” she interrupted her “don’t start again, please…”

“I’m not starting anything, Sabrina. I’m just telling you about your… _friend_.” her aunt Hilda said pretending innocence, Sabrina sighed “It’s just that I miss seeing you two together,” she finally admitted “you made such a lovely couple. But well, maybe now that you’re going to be here for some days you two would reconnect…”

Afterwards, Sabrina wondered what had possessed her at the time. It must have been a kind of demonic possession, she suspected. She had no other rational explanation for what she did. She only knew it was too early to have that conversation with her aunt _again_.

“Actually, auntie… I haven’t told you before but… I have a new boyfriend. And we are very happy together.”

On the other side of the line, only silence answered her and for a second Sabrina thought her aunt had fainted.

“Auntie?” she insisted “Are you still there?”

“But… How? When?”

“It’s a really long story.” Sabrina replied with and evasive answer, she didn’t know what to tell to her aunt. She tried to win some time after realizing what she had done “I’ll tell you later. All the details, I promise”

She heard her aunt sigh sadly.

“Well, I hope you intend to bring this new boyfriend of yours to the wedding, love. I’ll have to rearrange some of the tables dispositions but…” Sabrina was sure her aunt had already seated her at Harvey’s side and groaned internally. She didn’t understand why her aunt insisted on seeing them together. They were good friends and nothing more after their, rather friendly, break-up “What his name? You didn’t tell me.”

“Pardon?”

“Your boyfriend name, dear, you didn’t tell me and I need it to put it in the seating chart.”

“Eh… auntie,” Sabrina looked at the cloudy sky. What she had done? “I really have to go, my editor is going to kill me if I’m late” she lied, she knew he could never do such a think but her aunt didn’t “Bye… Love you, talk to you later” she said in a hurry before hung up the phone without hearing her aunt’s goodbye. She would have to call her later to apologize.

But now, she had a bigger problem in her hands.

Where the hell was she going to get a boyfriend in so short notice? She couldn’t just walk inside a bar and ask to the first stranger she saw to be her boyfriend.

She sighed. Her cousin Ambrose was right, her tendency to act first and think later would bring her consequences one day.

And today seemed to be _the_ day.

She continued walking until she reached the well-known building of the editorial, she entered and greeted the concierge who waved back at her, she didn’t stop to talk to him as she normally did, she wasn’t in the mood for small talk that day. Sabrina walked towards the elevator and pressed the number corresponding to the 12tt floor. She greeted some of the workers she met in the hallway in her way towards her editor’s office.

The secretary, who was on the phone when she arrived, signaled to her to continue walking towards her editor’s office. She looked at her watch before knocking on the door with her free hand and waited for the answer.

“Come in” a voice said from the inside.

Sabrina opened the door slowly. Sitting at the desk, with his dark haired head leaning over what she supposed was a new book, was her editor. She shook her head slightly with a small smile on her lips. He looked up when he heard her close the door and gave her a crooked smile. Her smile turned bigger.

She couldn’t deny that Nicholas Scratch was devilish handsome because that would be lying, neither she could deny that he was totally charming, smart and an incorrigible flirt. When she met him, she was a bit shocked by his attitude but she soon enough realized it was just part of who he was and started to enjoy his shameless flirting, she wasn’t afraid of playing along with him.

“Hello, Spellman.” he greeted her, Nick took off the glasses she hadn’t notice he was wearing and put them aside.

“Hi,” she replied “since when do you…?” Sabrina indicated the glasses he had been wearing and now rested on the desk, she didn’t remember seeing him with them before.

“My doctor said it was time for me to start taking care of my vision.” he explained to her.

“Well, they look good on you, Scratch.” she told him with an appreciative nod and a wink.

“It’s that a compliment, Spellman? Well, this is certainly unexpected” he said to her, she rolled her eyes when he winked back at her.

“You’re such a dork.” she told him walking towards the desk, before taking a sit in the armchair in front of Nick, she handed him one of the coffees she was carrying.

“This is for you.”

“Oh, thank you. A compliment and a coffee, Christmas came earlier this year.”

“You are not a good comedian, Scratch, so don’t try to make a career out of it.”

He only smirked at her before raising the cup to his lips to took a sip of the coffee.

“You remembered how I like the coffee. I’m flattered.”

Sabrina rolled her eyes one more time.

“Nick, you have the most boring taste in coffee in the world, it’s easy to remembered it. Also, you drink your coffee without sugar, which should be considered a crime.”

“Oh, you’re so mean, Spellman.” he said with a tone of fake outrage “I thought we were friends.”

She shrugged and took a sip of her own coffee as if she were considering her answer.

“Of course I’m your friend, but that doesn’t mean I have to sugarcoat the truth for you.”

Nick gave her a lopsided smile, she couldn’t help, every time he smiled at her she wanted to smile back at him.

“I’ve never expected sweet words from you, it’s not your style.” he took another sip of his coffee “Thank you for the coffee again, I certainly needed it”

“It’s nothing. How are you doing? I haven’t see you in a while.”

“Did you miss me?” he asked flirtatiously, she just rolled her eyes.

“You wish.”

“Say the truth, Spellman, you missed me.”

Sabrina let out a sigh.

“Fine, I missed you, are you happy now?”

“Extremely pleased, actually. But you’re right, I’ve been quite busy, with the holidays around the corner there is a lot of work to do.”

“Too many books to publish?”

Nick nodded.

“Actually yes, yours it’s one of them, if you like the proposal I have for you, of course, we could start printing and it will be in the shelves after New Year.”

Sabrina didn’t answer and he looked at her confused. Her lack of emotion was a clear sign that something was wrong.

“Are you ok, Sabrina?”

“Ehh?” she exclaimed distracted.

“I was talking about your book but you seemed distracted, something happened?” he wanted to reach out for her hand but stopped at the last second. She didn’t notice it, too distracted with her own thoughts.

“I have a problem.” she told him. Nick looked at her, asking her without words to continue “My aunt Hilda’s wedding is after Christmas.” she sighed ruefully, without realizing she sank a little into the chair.

“Ok, and since when your aunt’s wedding became a problem? You were quite excited about it the last time we talked.” he remembered hearing her talk about her aunt's wedding before and she seemed pretty happy back then, he didn’t know why this was causing her distress now.

Sabrina looked at the ceiling, thinking if she could say Nick what was bothering her. She felt his dark eyes fixed on her face.

“Well… I may have told my aunt that I would go to her wedding with my new…” Sabrina hesitated before continue “boyfriend.”

“Do you have a boyfriend?” he asked, Sabrina wasn’t sure if she heard a certain edge in his voice. Probably it was just her imagination.

“I don’t have a boyfriend, that’s the problem.”

Nick sighed relieved but Sabrina didn’t notice it.

“So why did you say so to your aunt?”

“It’s just that…” Sabrina sighed again, she sounded tired “My aunt doesn’t stop talking about my ex and how wonderful it would be if we were together again,” this time it was Nick who rolled his eyes “her insinuations about us are driving me crazy.”

“Your ex… you mean Harry?”

“Harvey, Nick,” she said exasperated “how many times I have to tell you, his name is Harvey.”

“Harry, Harvey, it’s the same thing.” he said waving his hand, she opened her mouth to give him the same explanation she had given him like a hundred times but he spoke first “I thought you say you were just friends now.”

“We are _just_ friends, but apparently my aunt Hilda has not got over our break-up, she still thinks we will be together again.”

Nick snorted and she looked at him confused.

And then she just knew. The idea hit her like a lightning, it was so simple that she didn’t know how she had not thought about it before. She couldn’t help but smile a bit.

“You know Nick, if only I had a good friend who wanted to help me out." Sabrina said, he noticed that her tone of voice was different and he didn’t like it. She got closer to him, her elbows resting in the desk, she raised an eyebrow “Tell me, what are you doing for the holidays?”

He looked at her startled by her question. Nick blinked once, twice before he realized what she wanted to say. Was she really suggesting that...?

“Oh, no, no, no. Spellman, I can see where your mind is going and… Absolutely no.”

“C’mon, Nick, I know you don’t have any plans for the holidays… and I need someone to come with me to Greendale.”

"Who says I have no plans?" he asked.

Sabrina moved a little closer. Nick appreciated that the desk was between them.

"You have no plans, don't lie to me."

“Fine, I have no plans but that doesn’t mean I…”

“Nick, please.” she interrupted him “It’s not so difficult, you just have to spend a few days with my family, tell them how wonderful I am and how lucky you are to have me in your life...”

He rolled his eyes and she sighed.

“You just have to act natural, nobody expects us to make-out in the kitchen… Although, that might convince my aunt Hilda.”

Nick blinked suddenly out of words.

“Please, Nick” Sabrina insisted “I’ve have never asked you for anything before…” he raised an eyebrow “Well, I may have, but, really, I wouldn’t be asking you this if I wasn’t so desperate.”

“Well, thank you, Spellman, it’s nice to see I’m your last resource.” he said sarcastically.

He ran a hand through his hair messing it up even more. She had no idea what she was asking from him.

“You know what I mean.” Sabrina told him.

"I don't think this is a good idea. It's crazy actually."

“Nick, I’m not asking you to help me commit a murder or something like that.” Nick was about to tell her that he almost preferred that option.

“It won’t work, Sabrina.”

“It’s not that hard. Just a little acting.” the smile she had died on her lips when she relished he didn’t find nothing she was saying funny “Please, Nick. I’m serious, you are my only hope.” Sabrina almost begged to him, she was seriously thinking on doing it.

Nick sighed. He knew that despite all his protests he would end up saying yes to her. He seemed unable to tell her no.

“Fine,” he said defeated “I’m going to help you in this crazy scheme of yours, but,” he lifted his hand to stop her because she was about to interrupt him “I want you to keep in mind that since the beginning I said this was a madness that will never work.”

Sabrina only nodded, she was smiling extremely pleased with the plan that was starting to form in her mind. She rose from her seat and walked to his side to give him a brief hug. She didn’t notice how he closed his eyes and sighed at her touch.

“We are going to make a fool of ourselves in front of your whole family, but if that is what you want…” he shrugged after she pulled away from him.

“It’s going to work just fine, Nick.” he shook his head but didn’t say anything “Thank you. You are the best friend a girl can ask for.”

“Don’t try to flatter me.” he replied with a tone somewhat irritated. No matter what he did, she was always going to see him just as a friend.

“Everything is going to be fine. We are a great team. This will be a piece of cake.”

“Working, Spellman. Pretending to be in a relationship is something entirely different.”

“Thanks for the optimism.” she replied sarcastically and Nick only sighed.

“I’m being realistic, Sabrina.” she was about to say something else but he was faster “Can we talk about you book now? We can continue discussing you master plan later.”

Sabrina nodded.

“Thank you, Nick.” she said again “Truly.”

He shrugged trying to downplay the whole situation.

Nick looked through his folders and handed her one with her name on it. Sabrina opened it, the first page was a copy of the proposed design for the cover of her book. It was beautiful. She couldn’t help caressing the picture with a trembling finger, it was just her second book but she was sure no matter how many she published, each one was going to be special to her. They were a part of her own.

She read the tittle printed in silver letters _‘The legend of the Greendale’s thirteen’_ , it was a horror novel based in a story she had been listening since she was a kid about a witch hunt occurred in Greendale in the seventeen century. She loved her hometown, it was a never ending source of inspiration for her. This story in particular had a special place in her heart, it had been a challenge to get into the skin of the characters, be able to know their fears and motivations. And she was happy with the result. Sabrina turned the page to look at the example of the pages of the book. She liked the little details such as the sigils around the number of the chapter.

“It’s beautiful, Nick” she said in a dreamy voice.

“I’m glad you like it.” he replied, Nick had his gaze fixed in her bright eyes.

He had fallen for her the first time they met three years ago when Cassius, the acquisitions editor, presented her as the newest incorporation to the editorial. He had known he had to work with her when he saw the way her eyes shone when she talked about her book. She was so full of passion, so full of spirit. And he fell hard, he blinked trying to banish the memories before they started to show in his face, he was good at concealing his emotions but with Sabrina sometimes he couldn’t help but let his guard down

“I hope we can have the first copy after the holidays, only if you agree with the proposition we prepared.”

Sabrina nodded.

“It’s perfect, Nick. You did a wonderful job with my book.”

Nick shook his head.

“It’s your work, they are your ideas, I only took care of transmitting them to the team, they are the ones who did all the work.”

"Don't be so humble, Scratch, it doesn't suit you."

"Sometimes I wonder why I'm your friend, Spellman." Nick said with a fake tone of tiredness.

"Because you _love_ me." she replied with a funny tone of voice, he turned pale and Sabrina couldn't help but look at him with a raised eyebrow "Nick?"

He blinked quickly.

"Something happens?" she insisted.

“No, no.” he looked around the room unsure of what to do. He looked at his watch “Sabrina, I have some things to do now, but maybe we could have lunch together?”

She looked at him with slightly narrowed eyes.

“Are you trying to get rid of me, Scratch?”

“Never.” he said with a wink that made her chuckle despite her suspiciousness.

But she couldn't get the thought that Nick was trying to get rid of her completely out of her mind. Something about his reaction seemed odd and she didn’t know what it was.

“Fine,” she said getting up from the armchair a bit too quickly, she was still confused “I have to run a few errands of my own too so I better go.”

Something in her tone of voice told Nick she was a bit angry, she could try to hide it but not from him. He knew her too well for that.

“Sabrina…” Nick got up and went to her side, he put his hands on her shoulders. She didn’t like the unexpected flip her heart made “You’re mad at me.” she denied with her head too quickly “I’m sorry, I didn’t want to sound so harsh. It wasn’t my intention.”

“I know.” she insisted but she wasn’t looking at him. Nick brought his hand up to her chin to made her look at him, for a second he got lost in her warm brown eyes “Nick…” she gulped and he released her suddenly conscious of what he had done.

“I’m sorry.” he said but neither of them knew why he apologized.

“I better go, see you at 2pm…? it’s the small restaurant around the corner good for you?”

He nodded.

“Bye, Nick.”

“Bye, Sabrina.”

She stayed in front of the door for a second before opening it. After the door closed behind her, Nick let out the air he didn’t know was holding, he went to sit back in his armchair. He rested his elbows in the desk, his head on his hands.

What the Hell had he gotten into?

He was going to have to act like Sabrina's boyfriend. And that was the problem, everything would be just an act. But he didn’t want it to be just that, he wanted it to be real, unfortunately Nick knew Sabrina only saw him as a good friend.

She trusted him. But he had never been honest about his own feelings for her.

A groan escaped from his lips. He was in a big trouble and he didn’t know how he was going to get out of this intact.

Nick ran a hand over his face and took a deep breath before opening his laptop to start checking his emails for the day, he needed to focus on work and stop thinking about Sabrina Spellman.

Outside the office, she was leaning against the door thinking about the mess she had gotten into.

And she had managed to drag Nick into that madness.

She sighed, she couldn't forget the strange way her heart had beat when he approached her.

That sensation, she was unable to classify, accompanied her for the rest of the day.


	2. Meeting the Spellmans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!!  
> Wow, thanks for all your comments and kudos, I'm pleasantly surprised and hope you continue enjoying this story as much as I enjoy writing it and now... Let's meet the rest of the Spellman family... plus Prudence.

"You are unusually quiet, Spellman." Nick said looking sideways at her before refocusing on the road ahead. Sabrina, who had been looking through the passenger window without saying anything for a long time shifted in her seat to look at him "Is something wrong?" he added without taking his eyes off the road. She shook her head.

"No… I was just thinking." Sabrina was feeling conflicted between being honest with Nick and tell him what was bothering her or continue silent about her doubts with their – _her_ – plan. She sighed deciding to tell him the truth "Actually, I feel a little nervous about all this, Nick. I’m not sure if this it’s going to work."

Sabrina felt better after confessing what had been in her mind since the beginning of their trip. Nick took one of his hands off the wheel and gave her knee a gentle squeeze. She looked up at him.

“We'll be fine.” Nick told her even when he wasn’t so sure about the whole plan, after all, he had said since the beginning that it was a bad idea, but Sabrina insisted and he wouldn’t let her down, and now he was already too deep in her scheme to back down.

"I'm sorry I dragged you into this," Sabrina insisted but he shrugged "I mean it, Nick. If you don't..."

"I think it's a little late for that." Nick interrupted her. He turned a second to dedicate her a smile, Sabrina smiled back with a somewhat nervous smile “We’ll be fine.” he insisted.

"Thanks, Nick." she said with a soft voice “You’re the best friend I could ask for.”

She didn’t notice the sadness in his eyes when she said so. He didn’t want to be _just_ a friend.

"So, Spellman... which one of your aunts should I fear the most?" he asked trying to relax the atmosphere, trying to forget her words. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her bringing her index to her lips like she was considering her answer seriously. It made him smile.

“Umm… Hilda, definitely.”

“I thought your aunt Zelda was the scary one.”

“Nah, she’ll probably love you.” she saw Nick raising an eyebrow “You aren’t Harvey and that is all that matters to her.”

“Ouch, Spellman. I thought you would say she would love me because of my undeniable charm and good looks.” she smiled at him but he didn’t see her, his eyes fixed on the road at the moment “You certainly know how to undermine a man’s ego.”

“I’m sorry to disappoint you but aunt Hilda loves Harvey. She is going to be a hard nut to crack even with all your charm, Scratch.”

“Just wait and see, Spellman. Wait and see.” he smirked, from her seat she could see the half smile on his lips.

They continued their trip talking about everything and nothing, soon the characteristically signboard indicating the entrance to the town appeared in front of them.

“ _Let Greendale cast a spell on you.”_ Nick read “Spooky…” he added with a fake shudder that made Sabrina roll her eyes.

“Well, in Greendale every day feels like Halloween. All the year.” she explained “But at this time of year, with Christmas, the mix is a bit odd.”

“Like _‘Nightmare before Christmas’_?”

“Umm… I guess you could say so.” Sabrina said remembering her aunt boyfriend’s store. Cerberus Books was the perfect example of the odd mix she had been talking about, she smiled remembering the skeletons with Santa’s hats or reindeer antlers and the bright, colorful lights on the shelves of comics and books. She had to take Nick to visit Cee’s, sure he was going to love the collection of old books he had in there “Well, Nick, welcome to Greendale,” she added when they entered the main street “it's not as wonderful as the big city…”

Nick looked at the small business at each side of the main street, he had lived all his life in the city, where everything was so full of concrete and the building were so high you could hardly see the sky. He couldn’t help wondering how things would have been if he had born in a place such as Greendale, with all the green, the fresh air and the charm of a small town. In a place where the neighbors knew each other since birth.

“I can see why you love Greendale so much. It looks wonderful.”

“C’mon, Nick,” she replied “It’s just a small town in the middle of nowhere.”

“Your books tell otherwise. I feel lucky to know the place that inspired you to write them.”

She smiled at him. She liked that about Nick, how he always was able to bring out a smile from her.

“At the end of the street, turn right.” Sabrina indicated him and Nick did as she said.

A few minutes later the road became a rural one, Nick looked around the woods, he lowered the window’s car a little to feel the fresh winter air.

“When you see the sign of the Mortuary you have to turn left.”

Minutes later Nick saw the yellow sign with _Spellman Mortuary: Funerals, Burials & Rites_ written in black letters. When he turned left he finally saw the Mortuary, it was an old Victorian house, with three tall chimneys and a porch surrounding almost the entire first floor. He could see where the inspiration for the chilling stories of Sabrina came from.

“So… this is your aunts’ house.” Sabrina nodded “It’s a very suitable place to raise a future horror novels writer.”

“I know” Sabrina said shaking her head “You can park here” she told him, she couldn’t help but notice that Ambrose’s truck wasn’t there yet. And she thanked to whatever deity who was listening for having some Prudence-free time. Having to spend all the holidays in the same house with her was not a very good prospect.

It was her own definition of a nightmare actually.

Nick parked the car in the space next to her aunt Zelda’s as she said him to do.

"Okay, let's do this, Spellman." Nick said before unbuckling his seat belt and opening the car door. He got out and walked to the passenger door, when he opened it Sabrina already had her hand extended towards the door handle "Allow me."

"Some old-fashioned manners... maybe you might win over my aunt Hilda’s favor after all." she commented before getting out of the car.

Nick closed the door while Sabrina opened the back door and pulled Salem out of his carrier. The cat jumped out of the car with an indignant meow and ran towards the house.

"Someone is either very happy to be here or very angry for being locked up for so long.” Nick commented.

"Knowing Salem, it's a mix of both." he looked at her questioning "He must be happy to be here because aunt Hilda always gives him something to eat when she thinks I'm not looking and of course he's angry for being locked up for so long, Salem is used to moving wherever he pleases as the king he thinks he is."

Nick was smiling when she looked up at him.

"Shall we?" he asked her and Sabrina took a deep breath before nodding.

"Let's do this," she replied extending her hand to him. Nick took it, he couldn't help but wonder if she also felt her skin tickle at the contact. She was cold and he couldn't help but run his thumb over the back of her hand.

Sabrina looked up, there was something in Nick's dark eyes that she couldn't quite understand, she gave his hand a squeeze and started walking towards the house. Salem was already sitting in the porch waiting for someone to open the front door for him.

"Nervous?" Nick asked when they reached the top of the stairs.

She shook her head no before taking out the keys she still had. The old lock made a noise when it was opened, Salem passed them fast and entered the house meowing to make his presence known. Sabrina took a deep breath before closing the door, soon her aunts would be there alerted by all the noise Salem was making.

There was no going back, they were actually doing this.

Nick leaned forward a little to speak in her ear, he intertwined his fingers with hers again.

"Everything will be fine, Sabrina. We can do this."

"Thanks Nick." she told him in a whisper, she leaned back on his arm and closed her eyes for a moment. She would never confess that she really felt more than a little nervous about what they were about to do, she also felt a bit guilty for lying to her aunts, but the truth was that she couldn’t bear hear her aunt singing praises about Harvey during the whole holidays.

"Sabrina!" her aunt Hilda exclaimed in a mixture of happiness and surprise when she saw her in the foyer. Sabrina didn’t miss the pleased smile on her aunt Zelda's lips when she saw who accompanied her and how she was leaning into him.

"Aunties!" she said separating from Nick to go hug them.

Hilda's embrace was, as always, extremely effusive and motherly while Zelda's was more reserved and brief but not less affectionate. She smiled at her aunts happily.

“I’m so happy to see you.”

“And we are happy you are here, love.” her aunt replied with a smile.

"Well Sabrina, aren't you going to introduce us to this handsome young man?" Zelda asked, giving Nick an appreciative look.

Sabrina didn’t know why but she felt her cheeks flush a bit. Nick walked towards them, he took her hand again once he reached her side and she thought she could get used to that. To the warm of his hand.

He gave her hand a squeeze, she took a deep breath.

It was time to start the show.

“Aunt Hilda, aunt Zelda, I want to introduce you to Nicholas Scratch, my… boyfriend. Nick, these are my aunts”

Nick nodded towards her aunts, he didn’t miss Sabrina’s brief hesitation, he hoped her aunts didn’t notice it.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Nick said with a charming smile on his lips “And thank you for welcome me in your house for the holidays.”

Sabrina couldn’t help notice that her aunt Zelda looked like the cat that ate the canary looking at them while Hilda seemed extremely disappointed with her gaze downcast. Nick thought Sabrina had been right when she said that the mere fact of not being called Harvey Kinkle was going to give him the immediate approval of the oldest of the Spellmans, but Hilda Spellman, he thought, would be a completely different story.

"The pleasure is ours, Nicholas." Zelda said and Sabrina knew her aunt meant it.

“Does anyone want a cup of tea?” Hilda asked out of the blue “I’m going to prepare some” she added without waiting for anyone’s response. Zelda raised an eyebrow while she watched her go down the hall with direction to the kitchen.

“Sabrina, Nicholas, why don’t we go to the parlor?” she proposed.

“Sure,” Sabrina turned towards Nick “go with my aunt, I’ll help Hilda with the tea, ok?”

Nick nodded, before letting go of her, he raised their intertwined hands to kiss her knuckles, Sabrina could feel how her cheeks heat up again and as soon as he let go of her hand she rushed off to the kitchen, when she arrived she still felt her heart beating a bit faster than usual.

“I came to help you with the tea, auntie” Sabrina said when she entered to the kitchen. She was a bit breathless.

“Oh, thank you, my love.” Hilda replied, she was taking the teacups out of the cupboard and placing them in a tray “Can you put a few cookies on a plate?”

Sabrina smiled. It was good to be at home again where aunt Hilda always had something sweet to share with her family.

“Did you, by any chance, bake chocolate chip cookies?” Sabrina asked hopefully

“Of course I did, honey. I know they are Ambrose and your favorites, but please, when he arrives don’t start a fight over them. I baked enough to everyone.”

Hilda still remembered the fights she had to witness over the years. Sabrina and Ambrose always competed for who could have the last chocolate chip cookie, their last fight had been so terrible that she ended up banning those cookies from her oven for a long time, but now that she had her niece and nephew back she couldn’t help but indulge them a little, although as precaution she had made several batches of cookies, she hoped they acted like two adults and not as the kids they once were.

Sabrina wanted to tell her aunt that the cookies were never enough when her cousin was involved but she kept her mouth shut and went to do as Hilda had asked her. Of course her aunt hadn’t only baked one type of cookies, on the table there were several cookie jars with different Christmas motives. Her aunt had baked gingerbread cookies, vanilla and chocolate cookies but also ones with orange zest and cinnamon. She took one of those and gave it a bite.

“So…” her aunt began to say while she looked at the kettle as if with the power of her gaze she could be able to make the water boil faster “this new boyfriend of yours…”

“Umm? What about Nick?” she asked nibbling on the last piece of the cookie, she was tempted to grab another one.

“How long have you two known each other?”

Sabrina and Nick had agreed to stick to the truth as much as possible when people asked them questions about their relationship. She took a deep breath before answering her aunt’s question.

“We met about three years ago.”

“Three years? And since when you two…”

She knew what her aunt wanted to ask.

“Nick and I just started dating a few months ago.” Sabrina said grabbing other cookie, she deserved it after all “Do you want to know how we met?”

Her aunt looked at her but was unable to say something else because the kettle rattled indicating the water had started to boil.

“Later, love.” she answered, she signaled the kettle with her head. Sabrina nodded.

"I'm going to take this to the parlor. Do you need me to bring something else?"

"No, love, I have everything under control." Hilda commented as she poured the water into another smaller kettle where she prepared the tea when they had visitors.

Sabrina left the kitchen and walked towards the parlor, she could hear the voice of her aunt Zelda, but she couldn't fully understand what she was saying.

When she reached the threshold she noticed that Nick and her aunt were talking about her.

“So…” Nick was starting to say, he looked up and saw her standing in the threshold. He dedicated her a wink “she had always been stubborn.”

Sabrina narrowed her eyes at him but he only smiled brightly at her.

“What are you telling to Nick, auntie?” she asked innocently while entering in the parlor, she put the tray with the cookies in the coffee table.

Zelda, who already had her cigar holder with her, smoke before answering. Sabrina tapped her foot against the floor waiting for her answer. Her aunt smirked at her.

“See? She still does it.”

“Auntie!”

" She used that same tone of voice when she had a tantrum.” Zelda told Nick ignoring Sabrina’s claims.

“Aunt Zelda, please!” Sabrina said while she went to sit next to Nick, he gave her a smile.

“Don’t worry,” he said to her ear “I found your stubbornness rather cute.”

She turned around to look at him, she didn’t know if he meant it or if it was just part of the act, but she saw sincerity in Nick’s dark eyes, his eyes had something somewhat magnetic she hadn’t notice before, she couldn't take her eyes off his until she heard her aunt Hilda, who had just arrived, clearing her throat. She blinked and looked away from Nick.

Hilda placed the tray next to the one Sabrina had brought before.

“Do you want some tea, Nicholas?” Hilda asked breaking the silence that had been installed in the room.

“Sure.” he answered with a nod “Thank you, miss Spellman.”

“How do you like your tea? Milk? Sugar?”

“Just tea. No sugar.”

“Nick has the most boring taste in this world, at least when we talk about hot drinks.”

“I’m not bored.” Nick thanked Hilda with a nod when she handed him the teacup “I’m classic.”

Sabrina rolled her eyes.

“Classic…” she said with a snort “you are just boring, admit it, Scratch.”

Nick opened his mouth to say something to her but Hilda spoke first.

“Sabrina…” she looked at her aunt “take your tea, love.”

She took the teacup from the hands of her aunt. Sabrina took a sip of her tea waiting for the questions she knew would come.

They drank the tea in silence for a few minutes.

"So..." Zelda said breaking the silence "Tell us a little about yourself, Nicholas."

"What do you want to know, Miss Spellman?"

"Oh please, call me Zelda," she asked him "what do you do for a living?"

“I’m an editor."

"You and Sabrina are in the same business... How appropriate." Zelda seemed extremely pleased.

"So you two met at the editorial?" Hilda asked this time.

Nick nodded.

“Yes, actually we met at Sabrina’s first day” he said to the Spellman sisters “I was walking down the hall when Cassius, one of the editors, stopped me. He wanted to present me to this new writer he had just discovered and when I heard her talk about her book… God, I just knew.”

He gave Sabrina a look she didn’t know how to interpreted. She couldn’t help but think that Nick was actually good at this.

Nick continued answering her aunts' questions, they both wanted to know more about him and he seemed pleased to satisfy their curiosity.

“Well, Sabrina,” her aunt Zelda said “let me tell you that the life in the city has certainly refined your taste in men.”

“Auntie!” she groaned.

“What?” her aunt asked with fake innocence “I’m just stating a fact. God knows that Kinkle boy wasn’t for you…”

“Zelda…” Hilda's face turned serious and if Sabrina didn't know her so well she would say that her tone of voice sounded almost like a warning. Nick looked confused at Sabrina’s aunts.

“Oh, for God’s sake, Hilda! Don’t you start again, we already know you are a bit obsessed with that boy but he is gone now and for good.”

“Aunties, please…” Sabrina whimpered, Hilda remained quiet, her cheeks a bit flushed “you are embarrassing me.”

“Why would you be embarrassed?” Zelda asked “The one who should be ashamed is your aunt Hilda.”

Nick didn’t know how, but he sensed that he should intervene or the argument between the Spellman women would continue escalating. He didn’t want to see Sabrina upset.

And all because of the farm boy.

He had met Harvey Kinkle years ago when he still was Sabrina’s boyfriend and he didn’t like the guy. Not just because he was with the girl he liked, that would have made anyone fall low on his scale of appreciation, but because he wasn’t good for her. He only slowed her down.

Nick simply could ever like Harry, Harvey, whatever his name was, Kinkle.

“Sabrina told you that we plan to release her book after the holidays?” said suddently.

"Is that so, honey?" Sabrina nodded at her aunt Hilda's question "Oh, that's wonderful news. Are you excited?"

Sabrina nodded again.

“I can’t wait” she reached for Nick's free hand with hers and gave him a squeeze. He understood what she wanted to say to him without words. _Thank you._

The news of Sabrina's book seemed to have the desired effect and the conversation turned far away from Sabrina's ex-boyfriend to Nick’s relief.

He was telling them about the publishing process when the front door creaked as it was open. Everyone in the parlor looked towards the threshold.

“Aunties… I’m home!” a cheerful voice said.

Ambrose Spellman entered to the parlor accompanied by his girlfriend, Prudence, Sabrina jumped up to hug her cousin but her effusiveness ended when she found herself face to face with Prudence.

“Hello Prudence.” she said in a rather cold tone of voice.

“Sabrina” she answered with a nod “it’s been a while.”

“Not quite enough.” Sabrina muttered under her breath but the look in Prudence’s eyes told her she had heard her anyway.

The aunts greeted Ambrose and Prudence, Hilda with her characteristic cheerfulness and Zelda in a more contained way.

“And who do we have here?” Ambrose said looking directly at Nick.

Nick stood up to shake Ambrose’s hand, he had stayed sitting to give the family the privacy they needed.

“Nicholas Scratch, Sabrina’s boyfriend.” He was surprised at how easily the words fell from his lips.

Ambrose let out a low whistle towards her cousin before shaking Nick’s hand.

“Ambrose Spellman,” he presented himself “And this is Prudence, my girlfriend.”

“It’s a pleasure.”

“Well, I have to admit it, city life has certainly refined your taste, cousin.” he said the same words their aunt Zelda had said before and she couldn’t help but think that maybe they had colluded to make her feel uncomfortable.

“Ambrose!” Sabrina protested.

“What?” she did not believe for a second the tone of innocence. Sabrina opened her mouth to say something back at him. But Hilda was faster.

“Why don’t we sit down?” she said interrupting the potential discussion between the cousins. She looked at Ambrose and Prudence I’m going to bring tea for you two, my dears.”

“Thank you, auntie.” Ambrose replied sitting on the sofa with Prudence at her side “Oh, cookies!” he exclaimed excited before reaching out for the plate, her girlfriend rolled her eyes “So, Nicholas…” he said after eating his first cookie, Sabrina noticed how her cousin's posture went from relaxed to a more business-like one, she noticed how his voice sounded more serious, deadly serious actually, when he added “What are your intentions with my cousin?”

Sabrina almost choked with her tea and Nick patted her on the back.

"Ambrose!" she exclaimed. Did her family know nothing more than to embarrass her?

“I’m the closest thing to an older brother to you, Sabrina, I have every right to ask him what are his intentions with you.” he said with a mischievous smile on his lips. She narrowed her eyes at him.

“No, you don’t. I didn’t interrogated Prudence when you two started dating.”

“That’s because you are the youngest.” he explained “And of course I have the right to ask, besides, I’m sure Nicholas doesn't mind answering, right?”

Sabrina turned to her supposed boyfriend.

"You don't have to answer if you don't want to, Nick. Ambrose it’s just saying stupid things."

"Hey!"

"Don't worry, Spellman," he whispered, one of his hands caressed her cheek "I got this."

Sabrina nodded slowly. Nick took a deep breath before speaking, after all they had decided to be as honest as they could.

He was going to tell the truth.

"I’m in love with your cousin, Ambrose." Sabrina’s stomach made a strange flip when she listened to his words. She had to remind herself that this was all an act in which Nick was proving being exceptionally good. She almost believed him. _Almost_ “I just want the best for her.”

“And you are that? The best for her?”

“Ambrose! Stop!”

“Let the man respond, cousin.”

"That's up to Sabrina, not to me."

"Good answer,” Ambrose said “I like you."

"Did you finish the interrogation, Ambrose?" Prudence asked, she had been watching the exchange in silence.

He was going to answer but it was then when Hilda came in with a tray with more teacups for the new comers and another plate with cookies which immediately caught Ambrose's attention.

"I am so happy that we are all together," said Hilda after serving tea to Ambrose and Prudence "we can finally decorate the house!" she added excitedly.

"It is a family tradition that we have to be all together to decorate the house." Sabrina explained to Nick, "That's why we are the last house in Greendale to be decorated, all the years."

He nodded remembering the houses they had seen along the way, all had colorful lights and Christmas wreaths on their doors.

“Christmas is certainly the best time of the year.” Ambrose commented with a cookie in his hand, he leaned in the sofa in a relaxed posture.

"Nick and I can bring the decorations from the basement" Sabrina proposed, she needed to speak to him and it had to be in a place away from the eyes and ears of her aunts and especially Ambrose’s. She didn’t wait for someone to agree with her plan and just stood up and dragged Nick out of the room with her.

“Look like the lovebirds are eager for some time alone”

“Ambrose!” Hilda exclaimed. Her nephew shrugged pretending innocence.


	3. Christmas decorations & awkward conversations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!  
> New chapter up, I hope you enjoy it!

"I'm so sorry, Nick." Sabrina said when they reached the Spellman’s basement. It was a large space under the house with a lot of boxes covered in a thin layer of dust and old furniture, Nick caught a glimpse of an old-fashioned bicycle in a corner. The air smelled a bit musty and the low light provided by the bulb in the ceiling barely illuminated the place.

"It’s okay, Spellman." he assured her.

"Are you sure? I know it must have been uncomfortable for you, all those questions and I know Ambrose can be annoying sometimes and I understood if…"

Nick put his hands on her shoulders and searched for her face with his gaze.

"You are rambling, Sabrina” he said and she stopped talking “It’s okay, actually I think we passed the first test quite well." he added with a smile.

Sabrina sighed.

"Yes, I think so too. But we cannot trust ourselves, Ambrose is very perceptive, at the first slip he will know and I think you already noticed that he is not one of those who hold his tongue."

"Just relax, Spellman, everything will be fine." Nick insisted running his hands up and down her arms, she smiled at him. Someday she was going to tell him how much she liked how easily he could make her smile. But not yet.

"I can't believe you're the optimist now," he looked at her and shrugged "by the way, good answer the one you gave Ambrose, I think he completely believed it."

Nick's eyes lost a bit of their sparkle, he couldn't blame her for not knowing that what he had told to her family in the parlor was actually true.

On more than one occasion he had thought about telling her how he really felt, but there was always the possibility Sabrina didn’t feel the same and that would make their friendship awkward and he didn’t want that. He preferred to have her by in his life as a friend than not having her in his life at all. His feelings be damned.

But sometimes the temptation was stronger, his grip on her shoulders tightened a little more and Sabrina looked up at him. For a moment she couldn't help but feel hypnotized by his gaze.

The sound of steps coming down made them jump apart, when they looked at the stairs they saw Ambrose with a mischievous smile on his lips, at his side Prudence had an expression between boredom and barely contained anger.

"Ambrose?"

"I'm sorry to interrupt you, cousin, but I need your boyfriend."

Nick and Sabrina looked at him confused.

"The aunts want me to go buy the tree, yeah, I know it’s super late and although I know I'm strong enough to carry a tree by my own," Sabrina and Prudence rolled their eyes and Nick couldn't help but notice they at least had something in common "but an extra pair of hands wouldn't hurt me."

"But Nick was going to help me with the decorations, Ambrose."

"Oh don't worry, Sabrina, I have everything covered." she looked at him with a raised eyebrow "Prudence here, will help you upload the decorations."

Sabrina groaned.

"You must to be kidding me."

"I'm afraid not." Ambrose looked at his watch. "And we must hurry, you know how difficult it is to get a good tree this late in the season."

"Go with Prudence." Sabrina insisted.

"I'm afraid not." she commented "I just got a manicure and I'm not going to ruin my nails for a Christmas tree." Prudence added showing Sabrina her perfectly manicured nails.

"Ambrose..." his cousin whimpered.

"Come on, Sabrina, it will be only an hour at the most, can't you two lovebirds be apart for a moment?"

"It's not that..." she didn’t know what to say to her cousin, after all she couldn’t tell him she was afraid he would discover their farce, but if she continued resisting she would end up raising suspicions. Sabrina sighed defeated “Fine, go on, kidnap my boyfriend. I’ll stay with Prudence.”

Ambrose nodded and motioned for Nick to follow him.

"Everything will be fine, Spellman." he whispered to her before leaving. She couldn't help but have some doubts. Nick didn’t know Ambrose as well as she did.

"See you."

"Oh please, Sabrina, they are going to buy a tree, not to an expedition to the North Pole." Prudence said, Sabrina couldn't help but throw daggers at her with her eyes "You're such a drama queen."

"Have you ever looked yourself in the mirror, Prudence?"

"Is that the best you have?"

"You are so annoying!" Sabrina exclaimed lifting her arms to the ceiling.

"The feeling is mutual."

Prudence and Sabrina had never gotten along. Especially since Prudence, a year older than her, was fixated on teasing her and there was even a time when she tried to bully her in elementary school, but Sabrina had managed to get over it and confront her too quickly for Prudence's liking. Their rivalry continued in high school, where the two were part of the cheerleader squad. That's why, when years later, Sabrina found out that her beloved cousin was dating – _seriously_ dating– the embodiment of her nightmares, she cried out to the sky. Unfortunately, they were both so in love with the other that she would have to get used to having Prudence around for a long time. Maybe forever, and that last thought made her groan internally.

"We better start,” Prudence said pulling her out of her thoughts. "The faster we do this; the less time I have to be with _you_."

"The feeling is mutual, _Pru_." she said repeating her words. Her cousin’s girlfriend grimaced at her and Sabrina had to resist the sudden desire of stick out her tongue at her, she couldn’t let Prudence think she was some 5 years old girl in the body of a 28 years old woman.

But the desire was still hard to resist.

* * *

"So Nicholas," Ambrose said as he drove his truck towards the Christmas tree farm at the other end of town "You and Sabrina, huh?"

"Please Ambrose, call me Nick."

"Nick, fine, but only if you call me Ambrose."

He couldn't help but laugh.

"That’s a terrible joke." Nick commented.

Ambrose shrugged slightly.

"It is worth trying." he replied "Unfortunately, my dear parents gave me a name that cannot be shortened."

Nick nodded, he looked through passenger’s window as the landscape around them changed, after a brief pass for the more populated part of the town, now they were on a road that was not even paved, similar to the one that lead to the Spellman’s Mortuary. On both sides of the road there were trees with their branches bare.

"How did you two meet?" Ambrose asked taking Nick out of his self-abstraction.

He knew he would have to answer that question in more than one occasion during his stay in the small town of Greendale, he told Ambrose the same story he had told his aunts before he arrived.

Nick smiled to himself remembering the day he met Sabrina, he hadn’t noticed Ambrose’s knowing look when he saw him smile.

He would be forever grateful that the photocopying machine had broken that day, if that hadn’t delayed him, he would not have met Cassius and Sabrina in the hallway.

“Nicholas, come here a minute.” Cassius had called for him, Nick turned and then he saw her.

There was something inside him that just clicked when he saw Sabrina Spellman for the first time.

“Nicholas, my boy, let me introduce you to miss Spellman, she is the new author I had talked you about the other day.”

He barely remembered his conversation with Cassius about the new manuscript he had been looking at.

“It’s a pleasure,” he said reaching out his hand, Sabrina took it, there was something comforting in the grip of her small hand “I’m Nicholas Scratch.”

“The pleasure is mine, I’m Sabrina Spellman.” she answered with a soft smile.

Nick didn’t like the emptiness he felt when he had to release her hand.

“Do you think you could show miss Spellman around for a bit, Nicholas?” Cassius asked him and he resisted the urge to say immediately yes “I have something to resolve in the review room.”

“Sure, there is no problem.”

“I’ll be back soon,” the older editor said to Sabrina “I leave you in good hands.”

Sabrina nodded.

“This way, miss Spellman.” Nick said indicating her one of the corridors.

“Please, call me Sabrina, when I heard miss Spellman I think they are talking about one of my aunts.”

Nick nodded.

“Then you can call me Nick.” he couldn’t help but wink at her, she smiled a bit, it was a somewhat nervous smile “So…” he commented rearranging the photocopies in his arms “It’s your first book?”

“Yes.”

“What’s about?”

Sabrina started talking about her book and he knew he was lost. There was something about the way she spoke that held him captive to every one of her words, he couldn’t help noticing the way her eyes sparkled when she talked.

Nick learned two things that afternoon.

The first, he needed to work with her. The second, he was in serious danger of falling in love with her if the first happened.

Three years later, he was in her hometown acting as her boyfriend simply because he couldn’t say no to her.

“And… how long have you been dating?”

“A little over three months.”

Ambrose shook his head.

“I still can’t believe she hasn’t said anything to me before.” Nick shrugged, he couldn’t come with a good answer “Well, I think it’s understandable that she wanted a little privacy. God knows we all got a little too involved in her relationship with Harvey Kinkle.” Ambrose grimaced briefly but Nick noticed anyway.

“You don’t like him.” he commented.

“I don’t know if it’s appropriate to talk about my cousin’s ex with her current boyfriend but the truth it’s that no, I don’t know, it’s just that he and Sabrina… I never thought he would be for her, as High School sweethearts they were fine but a long term relationship?” Ambrose shook his head “But you know Sabrina, she is stubborn, I think that relationship lasted so long only for her willpower.”

Nick nodded, he wasn’t very excited of talking about Sabrina’s ex but he had brought out the topic after all, fortunately they were arriving to the Christmas tree farm and the conversation died while Ambrose parked his truck in one of the last available spots near the entrance.

“Ok, let’s do this.” Ambrose commented.

There was a larger number of people that what Ambrose had expected in the place, apparently it wasn’t only the Spellmans who had decided to buy a tree later that year. While they were looking around trying to find the perfect tree, Ambrose told Nick about his work as professor of Greco-Latin history at the University of New Orleans.”

“How long have you and Prudence been together?” Nick asked him.

“Officially, 3 years. Coming and going, technically our entire adult life.” Nick looked at him confused “Let’s say neither of us was very given to commitment in the beginning.”

Nick nodded, he understood what Ambrose wanted to say, he hadn’t been too inclined to commitment either, he had never questioned his lifestyle until he met Sabrina. She made him want things he had thought impossible before.

“Sabrina doesn’t like her.”

“Well, let’s just say that she and Prudence didn’t start the best way.” Nick raised an eyebrow “How about this one?” Ambrose asked pointing to a tree just over six feet with lush green branches.

Nick took a closer look at the tree. It would look great in the Spellman’s house.

“I think is perfect.”

Ambrose made a gesture towards one of the workers.

“We want this one.” He told him. The man nodded, told him the price of the tree and Ambrose paid for it.

The same worker helped them to carry the tree to Ambrose’s truck and secure it with ropes. It wasn’t until they were on their way towards the Mortuary that Ambrose finished telling him the reason behind Prudence and Sabrina’s bad blood.

“We have always attended the same church as Prudence’s family, well, her father is the priest after all,” he said with a shrug “during one of the first occasions Sabrina went to the church, she was about 5 years old at the time, she accidentally put some gum on Prudence’s hair, back then she used to have long hair, after that incident she never wore it that long again.”

“All that feud for some gum?” Ambrose shrugged again “You have to admit that it’s a bit ridiculous.”

“I know, man, I’ve been telling them to get over it for years but their dispute only escalated when they grew up. Fortunately, now they at least act in a civilized way. Their High School years were the worst.”

Nick suppressed a laugh. He was discovering a new side of Sabrina Spellman.

The trip back to the Spellman house seemed shorter, Ambrose told him some anecdotes of Sabrina’s childhood Nick was sure she wouldn't appreciate that he had talked about them with him.

Ambrose parked the truck in front of the entrance stairs. They got off and started untangling the tree, between the two they carefully carried the Christmas tree up the stairs. Ambrose, knocked on the door, when it opened Nick heard Sabrina say “You are finally here, I thought I would end up killing your girlfriend if you guys took a second longer.”

“I’m glad we save you from committing a murder” Ambrose commented.

Even when Nick couldn’t see her, he was sure Sabrina had grimaced at her cousin. When she saw him enter she smiled at him.

“Hi.” he murmured.

“Hi, Nick.”

Ambrose and Nick carried the tree towards the parlor and carefully placed it in a corner.

“It’s beautiful.” Sabrina commented looking at the tree “Aunt Hilda said we would decorate after dinner, Prudence and I already uploaded all the decorations from the basement.”

“Dinner… good, I’m starving.” Ambrose said.

“Ambrose, you ate almost a full plate of cookies not even an hour ago.”

He shrugged. “It wasn't so many cookies.” she narrowed her eyes at him “I can do worst.”

Sabrina simply rolled her eyes.

“Where’s Prudence by the way?” she shrugged at her cousin’s question.

“I don’t know.”

"I'm going to go look for her" Ambrose added before leaving the room to look for his girlfriend, once he was out of sight Sabrina walked towards Nick.

“How did it go? Did he ask you anything?” she asked in almost a whisper.

“Everything is fine, you have to calm down, Spellman.” she seemed anything but calm “Ambrose was just curious about the typical, what I do, how we met… but he also told me some interesting things.”

“Whatever he had told you it’s probably a lie, so don’t believe him.”

“So, you sticking gum in Prudence’s hair is a lie?”

He watched Sabrina nibbling her lower lip in a nervous gesture.

“Well, that may have been true… but it was an accident!” Nick laughed and she looked at him with narrowed eyes “Don’t laugh!”

“You have to admit it’s kind of funny, but can I ask you something?” Sabrina nodded “Why did you do it?”

“It wasn’t on purpose,” Nick raised an eyebrow “I didn’t want aunt Zelda to discover me chewing gum in church, so I was going to hide it under the bench when she wasn’t looking… I don’t know how it ended up in Prudence’s hair.”

Nick gave her a suspicious look.

“Are you sure that’s all?”

“I may have played her a joke or two over the years… but I was just defending myself after she started bullying me in elementary school.”

“She did that to you?” Sabrina nodded.

“But don’t worry, I’m not so easily intimidated so Prudence and her friends got bored of me quite soon.” she added with a shrug.

“You are something else, Spellman.”

She smiled surprised.

“How do you do it?” she asked softly, he looked at her confused.

“How do I do what?”

She licked her lips before speaking, his eyes fixed in them.

“Sabrina, Nicholas,” Hilda’s voice interrupted them, they turned to look at her standing in the threshold “dinner is ready.”

“Later.” she said to Nick before leaving the parlor. He blinked twice before following her out of the room.

In the kitchen, the whole family and their guests sat on the table full of food. Hilda Spellman had prepared a small feast for them. When they were done, Hilda declined all offers to help her with the dishes and sent them to the parlor to start taking out of the boxes the decorations for the tree.

“Look Nick,” Sabrina said approaching to him with an ornament in her hands, it was a white sphere with a lot of golden glitter over and a ribbon of the same color above “I made this one, I think it was in my first year of elementary school.”

“You didn’t hold back with the glitter.” he commented. She smiled at him, Sabrina really had to ask him how did he do it to made her smile so much “So your aunts have kept this sphere all these years. That’s cute.”

“Not only this one,” she added “I think there are some of the ornaments I made in the kindergarten too, although I’m not very proud of those.”

“I’m sure they are beautiful.”

“No, believe me, if this one had glitter…” she grimaced, Nick chuckled aware of what she wanted to say.

“What are you doing, lovebirds?” Ambrose asked approaching to them.

“I was showing Nick one of the ornament I had made when I was a kid. And stop calling us that.”

Ambrose nodded “I think there are even some of mine in the boxes too, aunt Hilda it’s a bit sentimental when it comes to our childhood’s crafts, I bet something similar happens in your family.” he said towards Nick.

Sabrina and Nick looked at each other, she had an apologetic look in her brown eyes.

“What?” her cousin asked confused “Did I say something wrong?”

“No, nothing.” Nick assured him but his voice said quite the opposite “I’m going to help with the lights outside.” he added before leaving the room, Sabrina approached to her cousin and punched him on the arm.

“Ouch!” he groaned rubbing his arm "Why did you do that?"

“You are an idiot sometimes”

“What?”

“Nick’s parent died two years ago, family it’s still an uncomfortable theme for him.” she explained.

“I’m sorry.” he felt somewhat uncomfortable with the situation “But I didn’t know, cousin.”

“I’m going to go with him now.”

He wasn’t able to said anymore because Sabrina had already left the room.

She walked out the house to the porch, Nick was there, trying to untangle some of the lights.

“Sabrina,” Nick said with a small sad smile on his lips when he saw her arrive “do you know where your aunts keep the ladder?”

Sabrina didn’t respond, she walked towards him and put a hand on his arm when she reached his side.

“I’m sorry, Nick.”

“About what, Spellman?”

“Ambrose…”

“Sabrina,” he interrupted her “it’s ok, really.”

“But… I know holidays can be difficult sometimes,” Sabrina insisted “I miss my parents even more in these dates, I can’t imagine how it should be for you…”

“It’s ok, Spellman.” it was Nick’s turn to insist, he sought her gaze with his eyes. She nodded, she understood, he didn’t want to talk about it and even when a part of her wanted to continue pushing the theme… other part of her understood what Nick was feeling.

“Do you want some help?” she asked him instead, she smiled a bit trying to soothe the atmosphere. He nodded with his gaze still fixed on hers.

“Sure.”

"You're not afraid of heights, are you Scratch?" Sabrina commented some time later looking up, she was holding the ladder while Nick hung the lights. She heard him laugh before he went down the ladder, she stepped aside but not enough, he moved closer to her.

"No, but how about you, Spellman?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Is that a challenge?" she asked back, Nick nodded.

Sabrina smiled "Just look at me."

Nick held the ladder while Sabrina climbed up.

"Surprised?" Sabrina asked when she reached the top.

"Not at all, I know very well that you can achieve whatever you set your mind to, Sabrina."

She smiled pleased but he didn’t see her.

"I think we better get this over soon, it's getting dark." Nick commented "And it's freezing."

"How about a cup of tea as soon as we're done?"

"Make it a cup of coffee and you have a deal."

"Deal." she replied before going down so they could move the ladder again and finish hanging the lights.

"There you are," Ambrose exclaimed, walking out the front door "the aunts were wondering where you were."

"We are hanging the lights on the porch as you can see."

"Ok, but don't delay, Hilda is going to make some hot chocolate." Ambrose added before going back into the house.

It didn’t take them long to finish hanging the lights, they returned the ladder to its place and entered to the house, in the parlor the rest of the family was gathered with mugs with different Christmas designs in their hands, on the coffee table there was a tray with mugs waiting for Nick and Sabrina.

"Nicholas, Sabrina, there is some hot chocolate for you." Hilda told them after sipping her own mug.

Sabrina stepped forward and took the two mugs, she handed one to Nick, the heat of the mug warmed his hands. He took a sip, it was not a simple hot chocolate, he felt the aroma and flavor of the spices in it, cinnamon, nutmeg and a pinch of ginger.

"It's good?" Sabrina asked.

"This is delicious." he whispered back.

"I told you, any plan you had doesn't compare to this."

"What do you two whisper, lovebirds?"

"Can you stop calling us that?" Sabrina said to her cousin.

Ambrose shrugged. "Oh please, I'm just kidding, Sabrina. Don't be so dramatic."

"I’m not being dramatic."

"Yes, you are."

"No, I’m not."

"Yes, you are."

Sabrina was opening her mouth to refute her cousin's words again when Nick took her arm, she looked at him.

"You are frowning, Spellman." Nick commented, took his hand from her arm and brought it to her brow, trying to smooth it. She held her breath.

"See? They are so cheesy that they become nauseating."

"Ambrose..." Sabrina turned away from Nick, she would never confess that she missed his touch instantly.

"Oh please, can you stop behaving like a couple of bratty kids?" Zelda snapped at them.

"Sorry, auntie Zee" they said almost in unison.

"Okay, now if you can start behaving like the pair of adults that you're supposed to be..."

Ambrose shrugged. "I'm behaving, it's Sabrina who..."

"Ambrose!"

“Calm down, Spellman.” Nick said to her.

"But he..." he just looked at her, Sabrina sighed "fine."

When everyone finished drinking their hot chocolate, Sabrina helped her aunt Hilda carry the mugs to the kitchen. She was helping to dry the mugs while her aunt washed them when Zelda entered the kitchen.

“Ah, Aunt Zelda, I just wanted to ask you something,” Sabrina said and her aunt raised an eyebrow waiting for the question "is the guest room ready?"

“Why would you want the guest room?” Sabrina opened her mouth to reply "Oh please Sabrina, we are not _that_ old-fashioned, you can stay with your boyfriend in your room. You are an adult."

"What?" Hilda exclaimed "I don't know if that's appropriate, Zelda."

"Nonsense, Hilda. Sabrina is an adult; I am sure it is not the first time that they share a bed."

Sabrina could feel herself blushing. This was a flaw in the plan that she had not anticipated.

"But, but..." Hilda babbled, Sabrina stayed silent unable to come up with something that would allow her to get out of her dilemma.

"Ambrose and Prudence always stay together and I haven't seen you protest that much, sister."

"I'm going to go get my suitcase." Sabrina said leaving the cloth she had been using to dry the mugs on the counter. She needed to find Nick and tell him about their _little_ problem.

Sabrina walked to the parlor, she could still feel her cheeks burning, she hadn’t thought that something like this could happen. When she got to the parlor, she leaned against the threshold and make a gesture towards Nick, who was talking to Ambrose and Prudence, to let him know she needed to talk with him. He apologized and walked towards her.

"Something happens?" he asked her. Sabrina simply nodded and motioned for him to move away a little.

"Looking for a dark corner, lovebirds?" Ambrose shouted. She would have answered her cousin if it wasn't for the bigger problem on her hands.

"We have a problem with... the sleeping arrangements," she whispered when they found themselves away from the parlor, yet they couldn't be cautious enough. Nick looked at her with a slight frown not following what she wanted to said.

"What?” he stopped in the middle of the sentence when he realized what Sabrina was talking about, he felt his mouth dry and he swore that even his cheeks flushed a little "You mean...?"

“Zelda supposed there was no problem with us sharing a room.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the next chapter we are going to see how Sabrina and Nick try to solve their current dilemma...


	4. Sleeping arrangements

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I know it took me a while to update this fic so I'm sorry for the wait, I'm trying to find a way to update weekly but between the home office, my dogs (actually, I'm writing this with one hand, while I'm scratching my dog's ears with the other), my sometimes unstable mental health and that little problem of having a lot of plot bunnies jumping in my head all the time… Well, it had been a bit complicated to write at my usual pace.
> 
> But enough of this. Now, shall we see how Sabrina and Nick are dealing with their sleeping arrangements?

Sabrina looked around her room. It looked like the place had been stuck in the time, the dollhouse she used to play with was still there, old photographs hanging on the wall and the bedspread made by her aunt Hilda and her old stuffed rabbit were still there over the bed. The only thing that was different was the man standing beside her.

A sigh left her lips, Nick looked at her.

“I’ll sleep on the floor.” he said.

“What?” she asked distracted, seconds later she realized what he was talking about, she denied with her head “No, no, Nick, this was my plan, I’ll assume the consequences, if someone had to sleep on the floor it’s me.”

“Sabrina there is not a chance in hell I’ll let you do that and you know it.”

“But I can’t let you sleep on the floor either. You are going to freeze to death.”

“Do you see another solution?”

Sabrina sighed again, when she looked at Nick she felt her cheeks burning even though she didn’t quite know why.

She knew there was only one solution and she didn’t know if he was going to like it. Sabrina took a deep breath before speaking.

“We could… We could share the bed.”

She had never seen Nick blush until that day, neither had seen him without words. He was silent for a very long minute, Sabrina looked around the room unable to keep her eyes on him.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” he finally said, she looked at him, her cheeks still red.

“It’s the only option we have, I won’t let you sleep on the floor, you won’t let me do it, also…” Sabrina closed her eyes for a second, Nick was looking at her and she couldn't hold his gaze “Ambrose tends to break into my room at the most inappropriate moments, if he sees one of us sleeping on the floor we are lost.”

He looked at the bed then looked at her, although the idea of sharing a bed with Sabrina was certainly tempting, the circumstances were not what he would have expected.

“If you are uncomfortable with this…” Sabrina started. She was about to tell him he could leave if he wanted but he interrupted her.

“Don’t even suggest it, Sabrina, I’m not going to let you sleep on the floor.”

“I wasn't going to say that.”

“What were you going to say then?”

She stepped closer to him and brought one of her hands up to his arm.

“I was going to tell you that if you want, you can go. We can leave all this charade here.”

He denied.

“I won’t let you down, Spellman. We are in this together” he put his hand over hers “But… are you sure about this? I don’t want _you_ to be uncomfortable.”

She shrugged. At that moment, Salem entered in the room, he meowed to make his presence known and Sabrina and Nick turned to look at him.

“Well, I think we will have company.” Sabrina added “I think Salem is here to protect your virtue, Scratch.”

“Should I fear for my virtue, Spellman?” he asked back in a playful tone that contrasted with how conflicted he really felt.

“You wish.” she answered with a cheeky smile.

They just stood there looking at each other, neither of them sure about what to do. The silence was becoming uncomfortable and Sabrina decided to break it.

"You can use the bathroom first."

Nick nodded and went to get his suitcase.

"Do I have to lock the bathroom door?" he asked with his clothes and a towel in his hands, she looked at him confused "To prevent you from going in just to see me in the shower."

"You wish." Sabrina replied even as she felt her cheeks flush a little.

He winked at her before disappearing behind the bathroom door. She let out all the air she had been holding. Again, she couldn't help but think about the mess she had gotten into.

"Just calm down." she murmured to herself, walking from one side of the room to the other, not knowing why she felt so nervous.

Salem, feeling her restlessness approached her and rubbed his body against her leg, Sabrina reached down and took him in her arms, she scratched him between his ears and the cat purred pleased with her ministrations.

They stayed like that until Sabrina's phone started ringing, as she moved to get it out of her pants pocket, Salem jumped out of her arms and went to lie on the bed. She smiled when she saw her best friend's name on the screen.

"Hey, Roz!" she said on the phone.

"'Brina!" her friend said from the other end of the line "Are you in Greendale already?"

"Yes, I arrived this afternoon, but I've been a little busy with my family, sorry for not calling you earlier."

"It’s okay, you had to catch up with your aunts.”

"Yeah, besides, Ambrose is here too, he arrived shortly after u…” she hesitated, it was necessary that Roz knew about Nick? She knew her friend would find out sooner or later.

"Did he come accompanied by...?"

"Prudence? Of course, it seems like they are joined at the hip."."

"'Brina..."

"Don't worry, I'm starting to get used to the idea of having Prudence around during the holidays." Sabrina commented to her friend thinking that three years had passed since her cousin officially started dating her childhood enemy and she was still not used to the idea of having her around "But enough about me, how are you?"

"I'm fine... mentally preparing to spend the holidays with the family, but fine."

"And how are things going at work?" Sabrina asked, Roz was a resident at the Greendale General Hospital.

"All well, but it’s a bit exhausting." she could hear the tiredness in her friend's voice "And you? How is your new book going?"

"It’s almost in the printing press, actually.”

“Oh, I need to know the details, how about we have lunch tomorrow at Cee’s? I can talk to Harvey and Theo, see if they want to come too.”

“I’d love that.”

"The bathroom is all yours, Spellman" said Nick entering the room, Sabrina had never seen him with anything other than his elegant dark clothes and seeing this more relaxed version of him, with a shirt and sweatpants, made her stomach twist. Her cheeks flushed slightly _again_.

"'Brina?" Roz asked while she remained silent “You are with someone else?”

"Yes, uh... I came with my..." Sabrina hesitated before saying the word "boyfriend."

"What?" her friend exclaimed "How it’s that just now I found out you have a boyfriend?”

"It's... complicated. I will explain everything to you but later."

“Sure, I want all the details.” Roz said “I’d better leave you now, but ‘Brina, you must bring this mysterious boyfriend of yours tomorrow.”

“But the guys…”

“Theo and Harvey won’t mind, Theo that he can go with Robin, what do you think?”

“Yes, sure.”

“Great! Good night, ‘Brina, see you tomorrow at Cee’s.”

“I'll be there. Bye Roz.” Sabrina said before hanging up the phone.

She looked at Nick who was still leaning on the threshold of the bathroom.

“That was my friend Roz,” she explained to him, she took a deep breath “Nick, would you mind meeting my friends tomorrow?”

Nick shrugged.

“Sure, I’m your humble servant, Spellman, I’m here for whatever you need.”

She rolled her eyes at him and he only smiled at her with that dashing smile of him.

“I’m going to change.” she told him, Nick nodded “Get yourself comfortable.”

Once she was in the bathroom, Sabrina leaned against the door and closed her eyes. How many more people would she have to lie to? she groaned before separating from the door.

Sabrina changed into her pajamas and brushed her teeth slowly.

She looked herself in the mirror, her cheeks were still red so she splashed some water in her face trying to turn off the blush. When she came out of the bathroom she saw Nick sitting on the edge of the bed, Salem was purring next to him while he petted him.

“He likes you.” she commented approaching him, there was a bit of awe in her voice. Nick looked up and saw her, there was something in his gaze that made her blush again. Sabrina sat at the other side of the bed.

Neither of them spoke, Nick had always prided himself of being able to speak his way in any situation but now he was simply speechless, he looked at her, Sabrina was stroking Salem’s back and the cat purred content to be the center of attention.

She tried to suppress a yawn but failed.

“We should sleep, it’s late.” Nick commented, Sabrina nodded but neither of them moved to do so, he shifted in the bed uncomfortably.

A minute passed and they continued sitting, absently petting Salem. Suddenly Sabrina let out a snort, when she looked up, Nick was looking at her, they burst out laughing.

“This is stupid.” she commented and this time he nodded before getting up, she did the same. Salem jumped out of the bed outraged because the petting was over.

"You have a favorite side...?"

"Is there any...?" they spoke at the same time but stopped in the middle of the question and smiled nervously at the other.

"We better get into bed."

Again, neither of them moved. Sabrina closed her eyes, why was this so difficult? Why was she blushing? It was Nick, they were friends, everything was platonic between them. And still, the very thought of sharing a bed with him made her heart beat race a little. She took a deep breath before getting into bed, she stared at the ceiling, waiting.

Sabrina felt the mattress sink slightly when Nick got into bed next to her.

"Good night, Sabrina." he told her.

"Good night, Nick." she replied, out of the corner of her eye she saw him turn until he was lying on his side, Sabrina looked at his back for an instant.

She heard Salem climb onto the bed some minutes later, he lay down in the space left between them. Sleep was elusive that night, she was extremely aware of the man lying next to her, of the heat that radiated from his body, his slow breathing and the aroma of sandalwood, mint and a hint of leather that came from him. She squeezed her eyes shut trying not to think, trying not to feel.

“Stop this, Sabrina.” she muttered to herself but her heart kept beating a bit faster than usual.

Sometime later sleep finally claimed her.

The next morning the first thing she noticed was how warm her bed was for a winter morning, she snuggled a little closer enjoying the warm, a sigh left her lips, and she felt how a pair of arms held her a little tighter.

Sabrina opened her eyes suddenly aware of what was happening, when she looked up she saw Nick’s sleeping face, she tried to undo his embrace but when she moved she only managed to get him to hold her tighter.

“Nick…” she tried to move him to wake him up “Nick!” Sabrina insisted, when he finally opened his eyes at first he blinked confused with his surrounding, in the beginning he didn’t notice the position they were in, he kept holding her until realization came to him. Nick closed his eyes for a second before reluctantly unwrapping his arms from her.

"Sabrina..." he said groggily "I'm sorry... I"

"No, I'm sorry, I...” she stopped “Oh, this is so awkward" she admitted and he nodded.

"I better get up." this time she nodded.

She waited until Nick disappeared behind the bathroom door to bury her face in the pillow, a groan escaped from her lips. She was _so_ embarrassed.

"Oh my God." she muttered with her face still hid in the pillow.

"Hi cousin!" Ambrose said opening the door as if he owned the place.

"Ambrose!" she exclaimed indignantly sitting up in bed "Knock first, how many times I have to tell you?"

He simply shrugged. She snorted.

"I just came to tell you that aunt Hilda is making French toasts for breakfast."

"I think I was going to find out eventually, there was no need for you to come here." he shrugged again "You can go now."

"Don't be late for breakfast, I can't promise you there are going to be toasts for you if you come down late.”

"Ambrose, why are you here? You didn't come just to say what are we having for breakfast, I know you..." Sabrina said, suspicious of her cousin’s true intentions.

"I was coming to check on something but I think it's too late."

"Check on what?"

Ambrose did not answer, he closed the door behind him and walked towards Sabrina’s bed, he took a seat on it.

"When were you going to tell me?"

Sabrina had a slight idea what Ambrose was talking about but decided to pretend ignorance.

"Tell you what?"

"Did you really think I wouldn't notice?"

"I don’t know what are you talking about, Ambrose."

"Oh please, cousin, don’t pretend with me, I know Nicholas is not your boyfriend."

"Ambrose you are talking nonsense, of course he is." she replied but avoided her cousin’s gaze "What makes you think otherwise?"

"You were so nervous." he commented "The aunts may not have noticed, after all, the guy likes you and convinced them, but I know you better."

"Nonsense, Ambrose. And he doesn't like me, we're just..." she stopped in the middle of the sentence. It was so typical of Ambrose, saying something that would upset her and ended up making her admit what he wanted to hear and she didn’t want to say "Damn it, Ambrose."

He was smiling almost arrogantly at her.

"He doesn't like me, we're just friends. Good friends."

"Keep fooling yourself." he said getting up from the bed.

"Ambrose!" she called "Promise me you won't say anything."

"Your secret is safe with me, but can I ask you something, cousin?" she nodded "Why?"

"Aunt Hilda kept talking about Harvey, I had to do something to stop her from telling me that we should be together again so I told her I have a boyfriend and then she asked me to bringing him to the wedding..."

Ambrose nodded.

"I see,” he said understanding “like I told you, cousin, your secret is safe with me."

Once her cousin left her room she couldn't help but wonder if anyone else in the house was suspicious, if her friends would become suspicious or it was just Ambrose who knew her too well.

She groaned. She had to tell Nick that Ambrose had discovered them.

In less than 24 hours.

* * *

"It’s certainly a... very _unique_ place." Nick commented looking at the facade of Cerberus' Books, the main window looked like if Christmas and Halloween had decided to have a baby and the result was somewhat shocking for someone who was not used to bizarreness.

"I didn't think you were one of those who judged a book by its cover, Scratch. Or in this case, a store by its eclectic decoration."

"I'm not." he defended himself.

"Umm... I'm not so sure, but seriously, Cee's will surprise you, Nick. He not only serve the best burgers in, dare I say, the entire state... Cee also has a collection of rare books that I'm sure you will love. " Sabrina commented as they walked towards the front door.

"How rare?" Nick asked as he opened the door for her, Sabrina couldn't help but feel a tingling sensation when he placed his hand on the small of her back. She pushed the thought to the back of her mind.

"You have to see it for yourself, you're going to love it, nerd." Nick opened his mouth to say something but Sabrina was quicker "Don't try to deny it, you're a nerd, Scratch."

"If you say so... Who am I to contradict you?"

She smiled at him.

Harvey and Roz were sitting in the booth Sabrina and her friends used to occupy since they were teenagers, Sabrina smiled at the memory of the endless afternoons of milkshakes and conversation after a double feature in the cinema. The smile left her lips too soon when she noticed the tension in Nick’s body.

"Behave." she said under her breath. She knew he and Harvey had never really gotten along.

He looked at her with an innocent face.

"'Brina!" Roz got up from her seat and walked towards them, she gave Sabrina a warm hug. When she pulled away her eyes were fixed on Nick "And you must be Sabrina's mysterious boyfriend.” Nick nodded “I’m Roz."

"You?" Harvey exclaimed interruption the presentation, he was pointing at Nick, disbelief written on his face.

"Hello, Harry." Sabrina glared at him but Nick just shrugged playing innocent.

"It's Harvey, dude." he corrected him annoyed.

"You guys know each other?" Roz asked confused at what had just happened. She had never heard Harvey talk like that before.

"It's a long story," Sabrina commented "Roz, this is Nick."

She greeted him with a nod of her head.

"Harvey, you already know Nick."

"Unfortunately." he muttered.

Sabrina could feel how Nick and Harvey kept their eyes on each other. She was surprised by the open animosity between them, it had never been a secret for her that they didn’t tolerate each other. After all, she was unable to believe that someone with a memory such as Nick’s could forget someone’s name all the time and the way his eyes sparkled mischievously every time he called Harvey by another name told her that he enjoyed teasing her friend. It had been a miracle that the two could work in relative peace for the editing of her first book, but it had not stopped being awkward.

She felt that awkwardness again.

"Let's sit down," said Roz, noticing the sudden discomfort in the atmosphere.

Sabrina sat down on one side of the booth, next to Nick, he intertwined his fingers with hers. Harvey stared at their joined hands with a strange gesture on his face. Sabrina suppressed a sigh.

"Is Theo late?" Sabrina asked.

"He called me recently," Roz replied "something came up at his job and he won't be able to come."

Sabrina felt a bit disappointed. She really missed her friend but she also had expected him to act like a sort of buffer between Nick and Harvey, she couldn’t help but sigh this time, it was going to be a very long lunch. Nick seemed to feel the change in her mood, his thumb caressed her hand and when she looked up at him he smiled at her with that lopsided smile she liked so much, for a second they weren’t aware of where they were or of the looks Harvey and Roz dedicated to them they were in their own world.

"Sabrina!" hearing someone calling her made her look away from Nick's dark eyes.

"Cee!" she exclaimed excitedly when she saw her aunt's boyfriend and the owner of the store walking towards them.

"Sorry I didn't make it to dinner yesterday." he apologized when he reached their table.

Sabrina shrugged her shoulders “It’s ok.”

The man's attention focused on Nick and their joined hands. "You must be Sabrina's boyfriend." Nick nodded.

"Nicholas Scratch, it is a pleasure, sir."

This time Cee was the one who nodded. He still remembered when Hilda had told him Sabrina had a new boyfriend, his girlfriend was not very pleased with the news and he suspected it was because the boyfriend in question was not Harvey Kinkle, but Nicholas seemed like a good boy, besides he hadn't missed the way he and Sabrina were looking at each other when he approached to the table. They were clearly into each other and he suspected that sooner or later Hilda would end up liking him.

"I'm dr. Cerberus, the owner of this place, but everyone calls me Cee."

"Cee is also my aunt Hilda's boyfriend." Sabrina commented, she couldn't remember if she had said this to Nick before.

“I see, well congratulations for the wedding.”

“Well, thank you. And now, guys, what can I get you?"

They ordered, Nick was the only one who had to look at the menu before doing it because the other knew the menu by heart and after doing a little small talk, Cee left to prepare their orders. Nick decided he liked the man, maybe he was a little quirky in his vampire outfit, but he was nice and Sabrina really seemed to appreciate him.

"Well, Nick," Roz commented, in her eyes Sabrina saw the intentions of her friend, poor Nick had to prepare for another interrogation "how did the two of you meet? Don't be offended but Sabrina hasn't told me anything about you and I want to know all the details."

Nick told her the same story he had already told to Sabrina's aunts and cousin, he couldn't help but notice the look between anger and confusion in Harvey's eyes or the curiosity in Roz's.

He also couldn’t help but notice the looks Harvey sometimes gave to Roz, when he thought that no one else was looking.

"I didn't expect to see you guys together." Harvey suddenly commented.

Nick and Sabrina shrugged almost in unison.

"You know, some things are inevitable," Nick replied, bringing their clasped hands to his lips and kissing Sabrina’s knuckles, making her blush "and only a fool would miss an opportunity to be with such a wonderful woman as Sabrina, don’t you agree, Harry?"

Harvey had opened his mouth to say something else but fortunately at that moment Cee arrived with the group's food and drinks.

It was an awkward lunch. Roz's curiosity only made Harvey uncomfortable, Nick instead seemed to be having a great time seeing Harvey’s discomfort, in a moment Sabrina almost kicked him in the leg to silence him but with some effort she resisted the urge to do so.

“Why don't we all go to the festival together tomorrow night?" Roz suggested once they finished eating.

"Festival?"

Sabrina turned to Nick.

"Every year the town holds a festival before Christmas, I usually help my aunt Hilda with her stand but since this year she is busy with her wedding preparations I have almost forgotten about it."

"What do you think?” Roz insisted “I can tell Theo, maybe he and Robin could go with us too."

"I’d love that," she looked at Nick "what do you think?" she asked him, the animosity between him and Harvey was still palpable even though they had barely spoken to each other during lunch.

"Sure, Spellman. If that made you happy, I’m in."

"Spellman?" Harvey asked. Nick ignored his question "We are not in an English boarding school, dude."

"Harvey..." Roz spoke in a tone quite similar to a teacher correcting a student, she put a hand on his arm "Stop it."

"It’s late, maybe we should go, aunt Hilda wanted to see some details of the weeding with me." Sabrina said, she felt a little guilty for lying to her best friend but she couldn’t stand Nick and Harvey’s animosity anymore. Roz nodded begrudgingly.

"See you tomorrow?"

"Sure."

Cee approached with the bill and Sabrina was about to take out her wallet when Nick stopped her.

"I got this."

“Nick…”

“Sabrina, really, I got this.” he insisted with a small wink.

Sabrina decided to let him do it, first because she didn’t want to start a discussion about how unnecessary was for him to pay her bill when she was perfectly capable of doing so in front of her friends, and second, because she knew Nick was just trying to be a gentleman and not because he thought she was incapable of taking care of her own. Even when the gesture was somewhat old-fashioned she liked it a bit.

“Next time, I’ll pay.” she whispered to him. Nick nodded.

They said goodbye at the exit of the store, Roz and Harvey walked in the opposite direction to them, when they were out of sight, Sabrina slapped Nick in the arm.

"Ouch! Why was that for?"

"You know pretty well why it was."

"For Harry?"

"Harvey, Nick, how many times I have to tell you his name is Harvey?”

"Why does it bother you so much? Do you… do you still have feelings for him?" he asked in a serious voice. Sabrina sighed.

"He is my friend, Nick. Nothing more."

He sighed with relief and she looked at him questioningly.

“I’m sorry, maybe I overstepped." he said suddenly.

He got nothing out of admitting to her that he still felt a bit jealous of Harvey, after all, there was a time when he had what Nick wanted more than anything, Sabrina’s love.

"I'm sorry too. You are doing all this for me and... I shouldn't..."

Nick shrugged.

"It’s okay, Spellman. No damage done... or at least I hope so." he added with a smile. She smiled back at him.

When they started walking again, she linked her arm with his because it just felt natural.

"Do you want to see the rest of the town?" she offered.

Nick nodded and let her lead the way.


	5. Greendale's Christmas Festival

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!  
> I'm so sorry for the delay... I intended to update last week but, life happens.  
> I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Nick held the mug and inhaled the characteristic aroma of the coffee before taking a sip. It was late and he was still awake, alone in the Spellmans' kitchen, trying to delay bedtime as much as possible.

He was seriously thinking about sleeping on the floor that night.

Nick put his hands on his head and ruffled his hair, he couldn’t stop thinking about what had happened in the morning, about how wonderful it had felt waking up with Sabrina in his arms. He shook his head trying to get the image of her out of his mind but it was impossible, he couldn’t stop recalling the sensation of her wrapped in his arms.

But that was not going to happen again. It had been a mistake, a mistake he really wanted to repeat.

He didn’t know what to do.

“You’re still awake.” Ambrose commented as he entered to the kitchen, Nick looked up at him.

Ambrose walked towards the fridge to take out a bottle of water. He opened the bottle and took a sip while waiting for Nick’s answer.

“I couldn’t sleep.” he lied.

“Well, coffee won’t help you. You should try with some warm milk instead.”

He shrugged his shoulders, Ambrose shook his head before walking towards the kitchen table with the bottle of water in his hands, he sat in the chair in front of him, Nick raised a questioning eyebrow.

“Can we have a few words?” Nick, surprised, nodded. He didn’t know what Ambrose wanted to speak with him.

Ambrose stayed silent for a few seconds, sipping his water, considering how to start the conversation.

“I know you are not Sabrina’s boyfriend.” he said suddenly. Nick opened his mouth to refute but Ambrose stopped him by raising one of his hands “Don’t try to deny it, she already told me the truth.”

Nick was surprised, Sabrina hadn’t said anything about it to him and for a second he thought that maybe, just maybe, Ambrose was trying to trick him to know what was really going on. He took a sip of his coffee buying some time before giving him an answer.

“But you really like her.” were Ambrose’s next words.

 _Was he so obvious?_ Nick couldn't help but wonder.

“And she has no idea of your feelings for her.” Ambrose continued, he drank some of his water “Why?”

“It’s complicated.” Nick finally said.

“Oh please, Nick, she likes you too. I’ve seen the way my cousin looks at you.”

“Nonsense, we are just friends. Good friends.”

“Keep lying to yourself, she did the same. But tell me something, have you ever given her any sign that you are interested in her?”

Nick thought about every time he had flirted with Sabrina, he was sure she always thought he was just joking and he couldn’t do more than playing along with her. He had met her at a bad time, when she was in love with someone else.

When she had no eyes for anyone else except Harvey Kinkle.

And now it was too late.

“Maybe you should tell her,” Ambrose commented breaking the silence of the room “look, Harvey was her first and only boyfriend, and they started dating when she was 15, so you can’t blame her for being a bit naïve and not noticing your feelings for her.”

“Why are you telling me all this, Ambrose?” Nick didn’t know what he wanted to get with the whole conversation. Ambrose shrugged one of his shoulders before giving him an answer.

"You seem like a good guy, and you care for Sabrina. I think she could be very happy with you.”

Nick ran a hand through his hair in a somewhat nervous gesture.

“When you said you were in love with her you meant it.”

“Am I so obvious?”

“For anyone other than Sabrina? Yes.” Ambrose answered him “You should talk to her, tell her how you feel. I suspect she feels something for you too but she just didn’t know it.” Nick looked at Sabrina’s cousin in surprise “I’ve seen the way she looks at you,” he insisted “she is not as obvious as you are, but… a good observer notices that there is something there.”

“I don’t know, Ambrose, I don’t know.”

Ambrose shook his head.

“Go to bed, Nick. It’s late and I think I've given you a lot to think about.”

Nick nodded.

“I’m going to finish my coffee first. Good night, Ambrose.”

“Good night.” he replied standing up to leave the kitchen, he stopped halfway “Nick…?”

He looked up at him.

"I am sorry, about what happened yesterday, when we were decorating the tree, Sabrina told me about your parents."

"It’s okay, Ambrose, you didn't know."

Ambrose didn’t know what else to say so he nodded before leaving the kitchen.

Nick stared at his coffee, it was already cold. He sighed, he couldn’t continue delaying the time to go to bed anymore, Sabrina was probably asleep by now and she wouldn’t notice he was sleeping in the floor, as he pretended to do, until the next morning.

He washed his mug before heading to the second floor, when he reached Sabrina’s room he slowly opened the door, trying not to make a sound as he entered.

Carefully, he closed the door behind him.

Sabrina was sleeping on her side with Salem asleep at the foot of the bed, her hair shinning in the moonlight. She looked almost ethereal with her fair skin and platinum hair.

Should he follow Ambrose’s advice and make her know how he really felt about her?

He shook his head. He was sure Sabrina only saw him as a good friend and he didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable with his unrequited feelings, much less wanted to risk losing her friendship, he wasn't going to let that happen.

Nick looked for the extra blanket he had seen the night before, took one of the cushions of the window seat and prepared a makeshift bed on the floor beside Sabrina’s bed. He was taking off his sweater when he listened Sabrina stir in the bed.

“Nick…” her voice sounded sleepy “what are you doing?” she asked sitting up in the bed, a yawn left her lips. She saw Nick’s makeshift bed and narrowed her eyes a bit “You are not going to sleep on the floor, Scratch.”

“Sabrina…”

“Nick…”

“It’s ok, I talked to Ambrose, he already knows and I don’t think your aunts have a habit of breaking into your room in inappropriate moments so I don’t see any problem…”

“Except you will freeze to death.” she interrupted him saying the same words she had said the night before, Nick opened his mouth to refute but Sabrina was quicker “Believe me, you will.”

“Sabrina…” he insisted. She sighed.

“Look, if this is for what happened this morning…”

“No, no…”

“I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable…”

“It’s not your fault.” if that was someone's fault, it was his.

“We can… I don’t know, maybe put up a pillow barrier in the bed if that makes you feel more comfortable?” she offered “But please, stop thinking you could sleep in the floor, I won’t let you.”

Nick took a deep breath, should he tell her that being so close to her was almost painful? That what he really wanted was to hold her for the rest of his life?

Sabrina tried to suppress another yawn but she failed.

“Get in the bed, Scratch. It’s late” she insisted.

Defeated, he nodded slowly before going to the bathroom to change into his pajamas, when he returned to the room Sabrina was soundly asleep, a weak barrier of pillow in the middle of the bed. He sighed.

As he suspected, when he woke up the next morning, the pillow barrier was partially destroyed and Sabrina was sleeping with her head leaning on his shoulder, in the daylight she looked younger, innocent. He had never seen her sleeping and his heart beat in a strange way when he contemplated her, she was so beautiful, but it wasn’t just that what had made him fall in love with her, it was her spirit and strength, how passionate she was in everything she did. How fiercely loyal she was.

It was the way her warm brown eyes shone when she was into something.

He brought one of his hands to her cheek, Sabrina leaned towards his touch, Nick sighed before letting his hand fell from her face, carefully, he got out of the bed.

He went to the bathroom to take a shower. Maybe he should talk to her.

Or maybe not.

Sabrina woke up when she heard the water fall, she stretched out on the bed, bothering Salem who meowed outraged at being awakened so early for his liking.

"Sorry, Salem." she murmured, her voice rather sleepy. The cat approached her looking to be petted as compensation by the abrupt wake up. Sabrina was stroking his back when the bathroom door opened.

Her hand stopped in the middle of Salem’s black fur.

"I thought you were still asleep," Nick said, his cheeks slightly blushed. He was standing in the doorway with nothing but a towel around his hips and Sabrina couldn't help but look at him, she felt her heart beating faster and her cheeks burning when she was finally able to look away "sorry, I forgot my shirt in the suitcase." she heard him said.

Sabrina nodded with her head turned aside, she kept her eyes tightly closed until she heard the bathroom door close.

“Oh my God!” she muttered hiding her flushed face in her hands.

She couldn't ignore the way she had reacted to the sight of his bare chest and broad shoulders, Sabrina shook her head, that was normal, Nick was attractive, her reaction had been perfectly natural. There was no need to overthink what had happened.

And yet... a part of her couldn't help but think that maybe there was something else there.

* * *

Sabrina liked the night of the Greendale Christmas Festival. She liked the colored lights shining on the stands and the huge Christmas tree placed in the middle of the square, she liked the Christmas carols and the children's laughter that filled the air.

Usually she would be at one of the stands helping her aunt Hilda to sell the cakes, cookies and baked goods she would have decided to bring that year, but tonight was different. Her aunt was there too, but instead of being behind a stand, she was enjoying the Festival with his soon-to-be husband, while she was with her friends and her so-called… _boyfriend_.

And it was turning out to be somewhat awkward.

She knew she would never get Nick and Harvey to get along, hell would freeze before that happened. The situation had been a bit tense as they waited for Theo and his boyfriend.

Fortunately, with Theo the story was different, and right now he and Nick were talking about a new movie both seemed eager to watch. A small smile formed on her lips, she didn't know why she found so important that Nick could get along with her friends.

"Theo and Nick seem to get along pretty well." Roz commented. She was walking next to her, Harvey was walking further back than the rest, talking to Robin about a new commission he had.

Sabrina nodded "It seems so."

She rubbed her gloved hands against each other, her breath was foggy because of the cold of the night.

Nick, who apparently had been keeping an eye on her every move while talking to her friend, apologized to Theo and walked towards her.

"Are you cold?" he asked her. His breath against her ear made her shiver, but this time not from the cold.

She looked at him, smiled hesitantly.

"A little."

"Do you want some hot chocolate? It will help you warm up a little."

Sabrina nodded "That would be great."

"Stay with your friends, I'll go get it."

“Thank you.” Sabrina said with a nod, she couldn’t help turning slightly to see him disappearing into the crowd. Theo, who was now at her side, nudged her with his elbow.

"Hey!" she exclaimed, when she looked at him, Theo smiled at her with a mischievous smile on his lips "What was that for?"

"So, Sabrina... you and Nick, huh?"

"What about Nick and I?"

Theo was not one to beat around the bush and asked what he wanted to know right away "Why did you keep him a secret, ‘Brina?"

 _Because he is not my boyfriend, because everything is an act for Aunt Hilda to stop thinking I will ever be with Harvey_ _again_ , Sabrina thought, but she couldn’t give that answer to her friends. Not that she didn't trust them, she did, but Ambrose already knew the truth, she couldn't allow more people to know.

Someone could spill the beans in front of one of her aunts and then her whole plan would go to waste.

She shrugged her shoulders, her hands in the pockets of her coat.

"I don't know... we haven't been together for a long time; we didn’t know if it would work."

Theo snorted "The guy is head over heels for you, 'Brina." Roz, at his side, nodded agreeing with him. Sabrina looked at her friends surprised. "It's too obvious."

Was it so obvious? Ambrose had told her that Nick liked her but she couldn't believe him. They were friends. Sure, Nick had always flirted with her but she thought he only did it to amuse her, he couldn't have feelings for her, right?

But... what was she feeling for him? That was a question she didn't dare ask herself.

She repressed the desire to tell her friends that what they were saying was ridiculous. Nick couldn't have feelings for her and that was a fact.

"What are you guys talking about?" Harvey asked, he and Robin were approaching them, the two of them had lagged behind looking at the work of an illustrator who had a stand at the Festival.

“We were asking Sabrina why she kept her boyfriend a secret for so long.”

Harvey grumbled surprising them, when his friends looked at him he told them “I never liked him.”

Theo looked at him confused.

“Wait… did you know about him?”

"He didn’t know about us,” Sabrina hurried to say “Nick is my editor, remember? he and Harvey worked together for my first book." Sabrina explained to her friend who seemed more confused with each passing second.

“Yes, and it was a torture, the guy is unbearable…” Harvey couldn’t help say. Sabrina detected some bitterness in his words.

"I don't know; I find him rather cool." Theo commented with a shrug, his words making Harvey roll his eyes.

“Harvey!” Sabrina said, she was feeling uncomfortable with her friend attitude “You barely know Nick.”

“Yeah, maybe you should give him a chance.” Theo added.

Harvey rolled his eyes once more, he couldn’t bear to stay there, listening to his friends say how amazing Nick Scratch was, seeing how Sabrina defended him.

Sabrina couldn’t believe her eyes, Harvey’s attitude was so not-him.

“Harvey…” there was a slight warning in her voice “Don’t.”

“C’mon, Sabrina, you can’t deny it. He flirted with you nonstop even though he knew very well you were with me. I can’t believe you fell into his clutches in the end.”

“This is enough, Harvey.” Sabrina’s tone made it clear she was starting to get irritated by his attitude. Roz had a confused look on her face, Theo was surprised and Robin, next to him, seemed somewhat uncomfortable with the whole situation.

“What? Does it bother you that I say your _perfect boyfriend_ is not so perfect after all?"

"Harvey, stop, you are being unfair.”

“You know what? I’m better off…” said Harvey walking away from them with heavy steps.

“Harvey!” Roz called after him but he didn’t stop “I’m going to go talk to him.” she said to the rest of her friends before following him.

“Ok, that… was… weird.” Theo commented.

“Yeah.”

Sabrina still couldn’t believe Harvey’s attitude. She couldn’t understand the resentment behind his words, was he, somehow… jealous of Nick?

She was pulled out of her thoughts when Nick, who had just arrived, spoke to her. He was looking at her with a smile she couldn't reciprocate.

“Sabrina?” he asked worried about the look in her eyes, the smile fell from his lips “are you ok?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Nick looked at her doubting the veracity of her answer, he handed her the cup of hot chocolate and she took it “Thank you.” she muttered towards him.

“Where are Roz and… Harry?” Nick asked. Sabrina gave him a look but he just shrugged.

“Harvey wasn’t feeling well,” Theo lied “Roz accompanied him to his house.”

Nick nodded but he kept his eyes on Sabrina. She took a sip of her hot chocolate, it tasted to cinnamon and ginger, it was good although not as good as her aunt Hilda’s, however it fulfilled its goal of warming her up a bit.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Nick asked her again, Sabrina's slight hesitation before nodding confirmed him that something was wrong.

"Why don't we keep looking around? We're still missing half of the stands." Theo suggested them.

"Would it bother you to go ahead?" Nick asked them, he was looking at Sabrina, worried about her.

Theo looked from him to Sabrina.

"Sure, no problem." he added with a shrug, his hands in the pockets of his jacket.

Robin and Theo resumed their walk looking around the stands while Nick kept his eyes on Sabrina who seemed more interested in the contents of her cup than in looking him in the eye. If he needed more confirmation that something had happened, that was enough to have it.

"Can you tell me what happened? Because something happened, don't try to deny it, Sabrina. Please, talk to me."

She sighed.

"Harvey and I had a sort of argument." Nick looked at her confused "He was being a jerk."

He looked at her without saying anything for some seconds.

"It was because of me?" he finally asked even when he knew the answer. She shook her head.

"No, well...” Sabrina hesitated a bit, before telling him the truth “He spoke ill of you and that bothered me."

Nick put his hands on her shoulders.

"I’m sorry. I also behaved like an idiot with him. I..." he hesitated. He had been about to confess that he was still a little jealous of her ex, that would have been almost like confessing his feelings for her. And that was not the time.

Maybe it would never be.

"You what?"

"Nothing, I'm just sorry, if you want to go talk to him..."

Sabrina shook her head denying.

"No, Harvey needs to calm down a bit and I want to keep looking around." she didn’t admit she needed to calm down a bit too or was going to continue arguing with her friend if she saw him again that night.

"Well, then lead the way, Spellman."

This time she did smile back.

They walked around the different stands seeing the various trinkets, sweets and crafts the vendors offered to the public. There were two days left until Christmas and people took the opportunity to buy some gifts. And even when the argument with Harvey was still present in the back of her mind, the activity and cheerfulness of the Festival helped her to cheer up a bit. She tried to enjoy the moment.

As they walked by, his hand and hers constantly brushed and Nick wanted nothing more than to hold her hand while they walked around the stands, but her friends weren’t around anymore and the crowd paid no attention to them, there was no need to put on a show. Even if he wanted to.

So it surprised him more than it should when Sabrina stretched her gloved fingers a little more to entwine them with his, he looked at her but she seemed to be paying more attention to what was happening around and not to what she had done.

Her hand intertwined with his simply felt... good. Right.

They reunited with Theo and Robin at the end of the row of stands, they stayed there talking for some minutes about what they had seen around, what they liked and what they had bought. Minutes later, her friends said goodbye.

"Do you want to go too?" Nick asked Sabrina after Theo and Robin left.

"No, I want to see the tree one more time."

Even though Halloween was her favorite holiday, after all it was also her birthday, she had a soft spot in her heart for Christmas too.

As busy as adult life was sometimes, this was the time of the year to put the brakes on a bit and enjoy the holidays with her family just like in the old times when Ambrose and her still lived with their aunts.

She loved spending time with her family.

"I like Christmas." she commented as they walked to the center of the place.

She looked up at the bright lights decorating the large tree with a smile that made Nick's heart skip a beat. It was in moments like this, when Sabrina was contemplating something she liked or when she was inspired, in which she looked more beautiful. Her brown eyes reflected the brilliance of the colored lights.

Would he ever be able to tell her his true feelings? With every day that he spent by her side he felt that it was increasingly difficult to stay silent.

"We better go back home." she said pulling him out of his thoughts some minutes later. He nodded.

They walked to where Nick had parked his car, on the way back to the Spellmans' house they stayed silent, focused on their own thoughts, but theirs wasn’t an awkward silence, neither of them felt that need some people had to fill the silence with pointless talk, they were comfortable just enjoying each other company.

"Do you want some tea before we go to bed?" Sabrina felt her cheeks flush a bit and it wasn't the fault of the cold of the night.

Nick nodded as they walked up the porch stairs "Sure."

The house was absolutely silent when they entered, the aunts had already retired to their rooms for the night and Sabrina didn’t know where Ambrose and Prudence were.

They hung up their coats and walked towards the kitchen.

Sabrina motioned for him to sit at the table while she was preparing the tea, he saw her move around the kitchen oblivious to his gaze.

"Chamomile or mint?" she asked pulling him out of his thoughts for the second time that night.

"Mint would be fine."

"Mint for you, chamomile for me” she said.

Nick nodded, his eyes still on her.

“I think we are doing well," Sabrina commented out of the blue as she waited for the water to boil. Nick gave her an interrogative look "with all this, well, Ambrose knows and that's a flaw in the plan but I know he won't say anything. Besides, it seems that my aunt Hilda had started to like you a bit.”

"She is going to love me by the end of the holidays." he commented in a funny tone "At least I know your aunt Zelda already loves me."

Sabrina snorted back a laugh “That doesn’t count, I told you from the beginning that would happen, you had that battle won even before it started”

Nick shrugged, before he could say anything he could regret later the kettle started rattling. Sabrina took it and poured water on the mugs, she took one in each hand and walked towards the table, she sat across from him and handled him one of the mugs.

“Thank you.”

He was looking at her while she sipped her tea with her gaze down. Nick took a sip of his own tea, the words Sabrina’s cousin had said to him last night still spinning in his head.

The truth was that he didn’t tell her how he felt because he was afraid of rejection. Terrified, actually.

And he didn’t want their relationship to become more awkward than it already was with the whole fake boyfriend plot. And, if he opened his heart to her and she rejected him… Their friendship won’t ever the same either.

And he couldn’t stand losing her.

So he continued looking at her while she drank her tea totally oblivious to his feelings for her.

Sabrina couldn’t stop thinking about what had happened that night at the Festival, about Harvey’s accusations and Theo and Roz’s words. She looked up for a second to look at Nick, he was looking at her too and she felt her cheeks blush a little… Had she ever noticed that his eyes looked so dark in the dim kitchen light?

His gaze was too intense, she had to look away.

Would it be true? It would be true that he had feelings for her beyond mere friendship?

“Ahh… Here you are.” Ambrose’s voice took her out of her reverie, she looked up, Prudence and him were standing in the threshold “I thought everyone was at bed but then I saw light in the kitchen so I thought that a late night snack wouldn't hurt me” he said but didn’t move from the threshold “Did you two have fun at the Festival?”

“Yeah… It was fun.” Sabrina said but her voice lacked of emotion.

Ambrose looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

“You don’t sound very happy, cousin. Something happened?”

Sabrina sighed.

“Harvey was being a jerk and killed the mood.”

Her cousin leaned on the threshold and crossed his arms over his chest, getting comfortable, like he intended to stay there for a long time.

“Harvey Kinkle and jerk in the same phrase… I need to hear all about it.”

“Ambrose…” Sabrina was surprised of hearing Prudence talk “It’s late, let’s go to bed.”

“But this is getting interesting, Pru.” her boyfriend protested. She rolled her eyes at him and Sabrina suppressed a chuckle.

“I have something in mind that it’s far more interesting than listening to your cousin pathetic love life.”

Prudence didn’t wait him and just walked out of the kitchen, Ambrose followed her with his gaze, then looked at Sabrina and again to the spot Prudence had just left.

“Sorry, cous’.” he said before leaving with hurried steps.

“I never thought I’d ever be grateful for something Prudence did.”

Nick smiled briefly at her.

“Are you ok with what happened?” he asked her with a serious voice. She nodded.

“In this moment I’m madder at Harvey than sad, Nick.” Sabrina hardly suppressed a yawn.

“You are tired. You should go to bed.”

“You should too, Nick.” he opened his mouth to say something but she interjected “And I hope this night you won’t try to sleep on the floor… _again_.”

She didn’t wait for his answer and stood up with their empty mugs in her hands, she left them in the sink.

“Let’s go, Scratch.” Sabrina said extending her hand towards him.

He looked at her hand for a second before taking it.

Her hand was warm and her skin soft. And he wanted to hold her forever.


	6. Nothing goes according to the plan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!  
> I'm sorry I wasn't able to stick to my own schedule, those who follow me on Tumblr know that these last few days have been a bit difficult for me.  
> But enough about that, we are in the middle of this story and things are going to start moving a little bit faster soon, I promise. Now, shall we read Nick and Sabrina trying to convince Hilda they are, actually, a couple?  
> I'm sorry if this has any errors, you know that English is not my first language and lately even editing has been something... difficult for me.

Nicholas Scratch was a heavy sleeper. A _truly_ heavy sleeper.

Sabrina had woken up first and he hadn't even moved when she got out of bed and when she came out of the bathroom, fully prepared for the day, he was still sleeping on his side, his arms hugging one of the pillows.

A small smile formed on her lips at the sight of him., it wasn’t the first time he saw him sleep but this was the first time she took her time to look at him, his brow completely relaxed, his eyelashes a little longer than she had thought they would be, the shape of his lips. She felt a strange flutter inside her but with a shake of her head she looked away and left the room.

The strange sensation accompanied her while she walked down the stairs.

It was still early but she suspected her aunt Hilda would already be in the kitchen preparing breakfast for the family and their guests. Sabrina hoped her aunt were cooking blueberry pancakes, they were her favorites and, although she had tried, had never been able to replicate the taste of her aunt’s.

She was walking down the hall when she heard her Aunt Hilda’s voice coming out of the kitchen, unintentionally she overheard part of the conversation she was having with Zelda.

“They are not very affectionate towards each other; don’t you think Zelda?” her aunt was saying.

“Who are you talking about, Hilda?”

Sabrina suspected her aunt wasn’t speaking about Ambrose and Prudence, the pair could hardly take their hands off each other. There was only one option left and she knew very well what it was, so this time, she intentionally approached the wall to hear better.

“Nicholas and Sabrina. They seem…”

“Nonsense, Hilda.” Zelda said in an annoyed tone.

“But, it’s just that…” Hilda stopped in the middle of the sentence and Sabrina suspected her aunt Zelda had given her one of her _looks_.

Sabrina closed her eyes for an instant and leaned her head against the wall.

She was in trouble. _Serious_ trouble.

She never thought her aunt would suspect that her boyfriend was actually a sham, but apparently she had underestimated Hilda Spellman.

Sabrina sighed, she needed to do something and soon.

She needed to allay her aunt's suspicions, she wasn’t buying their act and if she was already suspicious, there was no way they could continue holding onto that lie until the end of the holidays. Sabrina walked back to her to her room, she needed to talk to Nick immediately.

When she entered the bedroom, he was still soundly sleeping. She snorted, he was definitely a heavy sleeper.

But it was time to wake Sleeping Beauty up.

“Nick… Nick…” she said shaking him softly by the shoulder, she didn’t want to startle him but it wasn’t working and she was losing her patience “Nick, wake up!” this time her voice was louder and she resisted the impulse to smack him harder on the arm to wake him up at once.

He mumbled some unintelligible words and she shook him one more time a little harder than the last. Nick started to open his eyes and Sabrina sighed relieved.

“Sabrina…?” he asked with a sleepy voice, he sat up in bed and ran a hand in his already disheveled hair “what’s wrong?”

“You sleep like the dead.” she commented and Nick looked at her without understanding what she wanted to say. He tried to suppress a yawn but failed “We have a problem, Nick. A big _big_ problem.”

He looked at her and blinked once, twice, not fully understanding what was happening. Sabrina let out an irritated snort.

“Go take a shower, you’re still sleeping.” Sabrina said “I’ll wait for you; we really need to talk.”

Nick nodded, still a bit groggy with sleep, he got up from bed and went to look for his clothes. Sabrina sank down onto the bed while he closed the bathroom door.

She didn’t know if Nick would like the idea that was starting to unfold in her mind.

Minutes later, a more awake Nick came out of the bathroom, Sabrina thought no one should have the right to look so handsome so early in the morning. The thought surprised her, of course she knew Nick was handsome but she had never stopped to think about it. Not really.

"Ok, I'm fully awake now.” Nick said sitting next to her on the bed “Are you going to tell me what's going on?"

She let out a sigh before talking.

“My aunt Hilda is suspicious, Nick.”

“Zelda?”

“No, Hilda.”

He looked at her but didn’t know what to say, he knew something like that could happen. Their plan had too many flaws they hadn't noticed at first.

"We need to do something to make her believe us again..." Sabrina hesitated a moment "But I don't know if you are going to like my idea.”

Sabrina nibbled her lower lip, she felt her heartbeat speed up a bit as she thought about what she was going to ask him for. Her eyes looked down at Nick's lips and her heart raced even more, she couldn't help but wonder _why?_

But there would be time to answer those kinds of questions later, right now she had a more urgent matter on her hands.

"We have to show her that we are a couple. A _real_ couple."

“But we are not.”

“I know but my aunt doesn't. And I know maybe I'm asking a lot from you, but Nick... could you do it?”

“What do you want me to do?” he asked knowing he would be unable to say no to her and that any kind of resistance would be simply symbolic.

“Would you…?” she took a deep breath, her cheeks slightly red “Would you kiss me…?”

Nick had dreamed of hearing her say those words. Hundreds of times. And now, the first time he heard them was all for a lie.

A lie he had willingly gotten himself into.

"Are you sure about this?" he couldn't help but ask.

Sabrina nodded, she got a little closer to him and he got a little closer to her without being conscious of this. It was always like this, as if they were the opposite sides of a magnet trying to rejoin, but she had never noticed before.

"We should practice." she said, and Nick nodded absently “so it seems more real.”

She closed her eyes for an instant and brought one of her hands to his neck, bringing him even closer to her, she felt the air catch in her throat when she felt his warm breath against her parted lips, when Sabrina opened her eyes and saw his, she realized they were not as dark as had always thought. Their color was closer to the color of the chocolate but still, they were warm, inviting.

It was just a kiss. It didn't have to mean anything.

She nibbled her lower lip suddenly nervous.

But for some unknown reason neither of them was able to end the short distance between them, Sabrina let out the breath she had been holding and hid her face in the curve of Nick's neck, after a brief moment of hesitation he put his arms around her.

“This is more difficult than I thought.” she said, her warm breath against his skin made him shiver.

Sabrina closed her eyes. She had never stopped to think that she really liked the sensation of Nick’s arms around her, it made her feel warm and protected, although she had never wanted –nor needed– to be protected, but the feeling was not completely unpleasant.

Perhaps too soon for her liking, he pulled away from her. Nick looked her in the eye, a strand of her hair had fell on her face and he gently tucked it behind her ear, his hand lingered there for a minute.

They were looking into each other's eyes for longer than friends would look at each other and he put his hands on her shoulders, for a few seconds Sabrina thought he was going to kiss her, but he leaned in a little to give her a brief kiss on the forehead. When he looked at her again, she saw something in his eyes she had never seen before but she couldn’t say what it was.

"Maybe this will be enough." he commented.

She nodded, she could still feel the skin where his lips had been, tickling.

"Maybe we should go down to breakfast." Nick proposed and she could only nod still somewhat stunned by the sensation his brief kiss had left.

"I'm going to go down first," she said seconds later "so you can kiss me good morning. That could help to dissipate some of aunt Hilda's doubts."

Nick nodded and Sabrina stood up and walked towards the door but before leaving the room she turned to look at him with a small smile on her lips.

"Thanks, Nick. For everything." she said before disappearing down the hall.

He put his head in his hands and groaned.

He had been about to kiss her but he couldn't, he didn’t want their first kiss to be for a lie. Nick shook his head. He had probably just missed the only opportunity he would ever have to kiss Sabrina properly.

He wanted to kiss her, he was dying to kiss her... but not like that.

Nick rubbed a hand over his face, he needed to do something to distract himself, to get out of his head what had almost happened between Sabrina and him. He decided to check his email, which he had neglected for the last few days, but there was not much to read, everyone was out of the office for the holidays so almost everything in his inbox was spam or newsletters from the pages he was subscribed to. Then, he looked around the room.

He looked at the old photographs on the wall, he even looked inside the old dollhouse that for some reason was still in the room even though he was sure Sabrina had not played with it for decades.

He looked at his watch and decided he had waited long enough, he left the room with slow steps.

It was show time.

Nick walked down the stairs and headed to the kitchen, the smell of something sweet lingered in the air, he couldn’t help but wonder what Hilda had prepared for breakfast that morning. He certainly had eaten better those days than he had eaten in months, living on pre-cooked food and coffee shop muffins was not something anyone would consider a healthy diet.

When he reached the threshold of the kitchen he saw that only Sabrina and her aunts were sitting at the table, since the first morning he had noticed that Ambrose and Prudence weren’t early risers, especially Prudence, who, constantly mentioned the importance of beauty sleep, statement that had made Sabrina roll her eyes on more than one occasion.

"Good morning." greeted them before entering the kitchen.

“Good morning, Nicholas.” Zelda said lowering the newspaper she was reading to look at him.

“Good morning, dear." Hilda said almost at the same time, Nick knew that he was not exactly a _dear_ for the younger of the Spellman sisters, that was simply her way of treating everyone.

He walked to the table, the sit next to Sabrina was empty as if it had been waiting for him, he leaned down towards her and kissed her temple, one of his hands placed in her shoulder to give her a soft squeeze.

"Hi, beautiful. You left me alone this morning." he commented in a tone of voice that left her momentarily speechless, Sabrina was constantly surprised at how good Nick was at pretending they were together.

She looked at him and a small nervous smile formed on her lips, he was so close to her, he gave her a wink that only she saw before taking a sit. When Sabrina took her eyes off him she saw the expressions on her aunts’ faces, Zelda seemed almost smug looking at them while Hilda looked surprised about their affection display.

"Do you want some pancakes, Nicholas?" Hilda asked, always so helpful.

"Sure, thanks."

They ate breakfast in pleasant silence.

“Good morning, everyone.” Ambrose said entering the kitchen accompanied by Prudence when they were about to finish eating.

“Morning, Ambrose.” Sabrina said to her cousin. He and Prudence took the last available seats at the table and Hilda got up to make more pancakes for them.

“This is the best time of the year, isn’t it?” Ambrose commented to no one in particular “Actually, it’s the only time of the year I get to eat a decent breakfast.”

“Ambrose…” Prudence said in a warning tone.

“Pru, love, I love you but you have to admit that cooking is not one of your many talents. Or mine for the matter.”

Sabrina couldn’t help but chuckle and Prudence gave her a furious look.

“What’s so funny, Sabrina?” she asked with an annoyed voice.

“Children, no fights at the table.” Hilda said from her place in front of the stove.

Ambrose grimaced at being reprimanded by her aunt, Sabrina just shrugged and Prudence didn't even flinch.

They were silent until Hilda returned to the table with the pancakes, Ambrose put in his plate an extremely generous amount of them, which he accompanied with an even more generous amount of syrup.

"So... what's the plan for today?" he asked addressing Sabrina.

She shrugged. "I haven't thought about it. Why are you asking?"

"Well you could come with me to Riverdale, there is something I need to buy at the mall and I need your help.” Sabrina looked at him confused “Prudence and Nick can come too." he added.

"Thanks for the invitation, Ambrose." Prudence said sarcastically.

"Pru, love, maybe I expressed myself badly, I would love for you to come with me too."

"You realize it will be chaotic, right? I mean, it's the day before Christmas Eve."

"I know, but this is urgent." he explained, he put a generous portion of pancakes in his mouth to avoid giving more details.

"I guess we're going to Riverdale then." Sabrina commented looking at Nick, he nodded.

* * *

Riverdale’s mall was just a collection of small stores, a coffee shop and a small restaurant. it was nothing like the department stores in the city, and as Sabrina had predicted, was full of people buying last minute gifts or visiting Santa Claus with their nosy children.

"I told you this was going to be a nightmare." Sabrina said to Ambrose. He just shrugged.

"Why don't we look around for a while?" he proposed to the group.

"Do you think that is possible with all these people?" Prudence was the one who asked, her voice showed her annoyance.

"I just need to do one thing, then we can get out of here and look around the town a little."

"What a way to spend the day." Prudence commented in a sarcastic tone, she crossed her arms over her chest.

Ambrose sighed, he was going to have to deal with an annoyed Prudence later.

"Cousin, I need you," Ambrose said to Sabrina "could you mind?" he asked to Nick and Prudence.

He denied and she just shrugged, Ambrose wasted no time in disappearing into the crowd with a confused Sabrina following him.

Nick and Prudence stood there looking at the place where the cousins had disappeared.

"So... would you like to drink a coffee or something?" Nick asked without knowing very well how to act around Prudence, they had barely spoken a word in the days they had been at the Spellmans' household.

"Sure." she replied, after all, she had nothing else to do and knowing Ambrose, she was sure that whatever he would have gone to do with Sabrina would take a really long time.

She led the way to a small café that was the only place less crowded on that crazy day. They ordered and sat at one of the many available tables, for a few minutes they stayed in silence, drinking their respective coffees and looking around.

"What do you think they are doing?" she asked Nick suddenly.

"No idea." he answered with a shrug.

"Knowing Ambrose, he is buying some gift he forgot, probably mine since he didn’t let me accompany him. I suppose you already bought Sabrina's gift, you probably bought it weeks ago."

Nick was surprised, actually he had bought Sabrina's gift months ago, long before the whole fake dating thing, but of course, he wasn't going to tell her this.

"Actually, yes." he replied.

"I knew it; you look like that kind of guy."

"What do you mean by that?" Nick couldn't help but ask.

"You know, surely you are extremely organized, the kind of person who never forgets an anniversary or some important date… I'm sure you spent a lot of time looking for the perfect gift for her."

He was beginning to suspect that Prudence was capable of reading minds.

"Can I ask you something?" she asked and Nick nodded thinking she was going to ask the usual but she surprised him "What do you see Sabrina?"

Nick decided to be honest, after all, he had nothing to lose.

"She is amazing, Prudence." she grimaced but he ignored this "She is smart and kind, she is fearless and the way her eyes sparkle when she is passionate about something..." Nick knew he was talking like a fool in love but was surprised to realize he didn't care. He was a fool in love after all.

"And she's stubborn as a mule." Prudence added with a small smile on her lips.

Nick shrugged before taking a sip from his coffee, he wasn’t going to deny that Sabrina was stubborn because that would be lying.

“Can I ask you something?" he said in return and she nodded "Do you still hate her because of the whole gum thing?"

"Ambrose told you that story," Nick nodded, she shook her head "I don't hate her, we just don't tolerate each other."

"But why?"

"Are you interrogating me?" she asked but there was no discomfort in her voice. He shrugged once more.

"I'm just curious about this strange rivalry between the two of you."

Prudence nodded, she was not willing to tell him that deep down she was somewhat jealous of Sabrina. She had a loving family while she had always had to live with a father who usually ignored her and a stepmother who barely tolerated her, while Sabrina had her aunts and Ambrose who loved her madly.

She knew it was time to end that stupid quarrel between them but she just didn't know how.

Of course she didn’t say this to Nick.

“Maybe our personalities are too similar, we both like to be in charge.” she said instead.

"Can you tell me what is that so urgent you have to buy? Sabrina asked her cousin as he dragged her through the mall. He stopped in front of the jewelry store “Ambrose...? "

"I'm going to ask Prudence to marry me." he blurted out.

"What?" Sabrina exclaimed, her voice a mixture of surprise and disbelief.

"I'm going to ask Prudence to marry me." he repeated this time in a slower tone.

"You must to be kidding me." she was unable to hold her tongue. Ambrose had just dropped a bomb and she didn’t know how else to react.

"I'm not. I’m marrying her, well, if she says yes."

"But…? When did you decide you wanted to do such a crazy thing?" Ambrose gave her a warning look.

"Yesterday."

"Yesterday? Don't you think it's a bit rushed? Maybe you should think it a little more."

"I'm sure Sabrina. The idea has been in my head for a long time, yesterday I just confirmed that it is with Prudence with who I want to spend the rest of my life."

As much as she hated Prudence, she knew that her cousin was in love with her and there was nothing she could do against that. Love was like that, totally blind.

She suppressed a groan, she couldn’t help but think that now she would have to endure Prudence for the rest of her life too, but for Ambrose, she told herself, she would do anything. Even facing the devil.

"You should have brought one of the aunts with you." she told him.

"I trust you, I want your help, Sabrina."

“You sure?”

He nodded.

Sabrina sighed before saying "Ok, let's do it, I know there is no force in nature that is going to stop you from marrying her."

"Are you ok with this?" Ambrose couldn't help but ask, he put his hands on her cousin’s shoulders to look her in the eye.

Sabrina nodded, she certainly wasn't ok with the news but she wasn't going to tell him. Prudence made Ambrose happy, she had to accept it. Eventually.

"Let's choose that ring," she said walking into the jewelry store "although I don't know if Prudence will appreciate the fact that I helped you to choose her engagement ring."

“So we don’t tell her.”

“She is going to find out anyway, she always does.”

Who seemed to be the only saleswoman of the jewelry was busy with another client so Ambrose and Sabrina looked around for a while.

"Do you think Prudence would prefer a diamond or another type of gemstone?" Ambrose asked his cousin looking at the rings displayed in one of the showcases.

"Umm... a diamond is expensive, and Prudence loves expensive things, but a ruby would look good with her skin tone too."

He nodded. Ambrose knew it had been a good idea to bring Sabrina with him because he simply had no idea how to choose a ring. He had never done it after all.

The other client left and the saleswoman walked over to them, showing them the selection of engagement rings they had. Ambrose and Sabrina looked at them closely, until they both saw the same ring, they looked at each other and just knew it.

"That’s the ring." Ambrose said pointing at it and Sabrina nodded in agreement.

It was a beautiful ring with a central blood red ruby and small diamonds on each side. The saleswoman pulled it out of the showcase and Ambrose looked at it more closely.

"I want this." he said handing it back to her.

Ambrose went to the cash register to pay for the ring while Sabrina kept looking around the store.

She was not really a girl who wore a lot of jewelry, in the past she had only wore the locket Harvey gave her when they were in the early days of their relationship, that locket was now just a memory, save in a small jewelry box in her old room, but she had to admit that the jewelries on display were beautiful.

"Looking for your own engagement ring, cousin?" Ambrose asked surprising her "I thought it was your _boyfriend_ who should take care of it."

"Don't talk nonsense, Ambrose." she answered before leaving the store by his side.

"You like him and you know it." Sabrina was sure that he was no longer talking about rings.

"We are only friends. Good friends.”

"Keep repeating that to yourself and maybe one day you will believe it."

"Ambrose, please."

"I was just saying."

Ambrose called Prudence and asked where they were. As they walked Sabrina couldn't help but wonder if her cousin might be right. Did she have feelings for Nick?

She couldn't help remembering that they had almost kissed that morning and, when he greeted her with a brief kiss in the temple, something inside her had stirred.

"You look so serious, what are you thinking about?" Ambrose asked pulling her out of her thoughts.

"Nothing." she lied.

"Well, that nothing has made you blush, cousin."

"Nonsense." she repeated again but she could feel her cheeks burn a little.


	7. Gingerbread cookies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I’m so so sorry about the delay, I was having a bad case of “writer’s block” and I struggled with this chapter a lot.  
> There are a couple of chapters left before this story ends and I promise I’ll try to update weekly, maybe that is going to be a bit easier now that my city is in quarantine (again).

Sabrina liked the day before Christmas, she liked how the atmosphere became more festive with each passing hour and the sweet aroma of spices that lingered inside the house.

But what she liked the most about that day was the gingerbread house her aunt Hilda would bake for the town contest.

She thought that with all the stress of the wedding her aunt would not participate that year, so she was surprised when she saw her returning from the grocery store with the ingredients to prepare like a hundred gingerbread cookies.

"I thought you wouldn't participate this year." Sabrina said "With the wedding and all that..."

"And let Constance Blackwood win the first place? Definitely not, love."

Aunt Hilda had won the gingerbread house competition since Sabrina had memory, she smiled remembering how fierce the housewives and amateur bakers of Greendale could be when it came to a culinary competition.

The competition was one of the events of the year and the whole town turned to the town square to see the gingerbread houses on display while a group of judges examined them one by one to decide which one deserved the honor of winning that year.

"What is that smell?" asked a half-sleepy Nick, he turned to lie on his back, the air smelled faintly of ginger, vanilla, and sugar.

Sabrina who was already sitting on the edge of the bed, ready to get up, answered him.

"That's my aunt Hilda, she must have started baking the gingerbread cookies."

Nick gave her a confused look.

"If I remember correctly yesterday I saw there were enough cookies left in the kitchen to feed an army." he commented stretching on the bed, her eyes couldn't help but linger looking at the way the muscles in his arms stood up when he moved.

"These are for the Greendale’s Annual Gingerbread House Competition." Sabrina explained.

"You have a gingerbread house competition? Don't tell me in Halloween you have a pumpkin carving’s competition too."

Sabrina said nothing but the way she bit her lower lip gave him the answer he needed.

"Let's get out of bed, Scratch, this morning we have to feed ourselves because Aunt Hilda must be busy preparing cookies."

"You are making me wake up early every single day." he commented and she smiled brightly at him.

"Small town hours." she replied to him, "But I guess it's hard for you, you're definitely not a morning person."

"City hours." he said before getting out of bed.

Salem, who was sleeping on one of the window seat’s cushions this time, raised his head to look at them with a look that Nick could only call accusatory, if a cat was capable of that.

"Why he can continue sleeping?" he asked when Salem curled up again to continue sleeping as Nick had predicted.

"You are not seriously comparing yourself to the cat, don’t you?"

Just one look at him was enough to realize he was joking, a smile spread across her lips.

"I'm going to use the bathroom first, if you don't mind."

He shrugged. Sabrina went to her suitcase to take out her clothes for the day and entered to the bathroom.

Half an hour later they went down the stairs towards the kitchen, before they got there, Nick stopped, Sabrina looked at him confused.

"What happens?" she asked.

He moved closer until his mouth was at her ear level, his hands on her shoulders "What is going to be today, Spellman? Shall I hold your hand or spoil that lipstick of yours to make it look like we were in a passionate make-out session?"

She hit him on the arm and not exactly in a playful way. Her heart beating fast.

"Hey! That hurt!"

"That’s what you get for saying stupid things."

"But I thought you wanted us to show more affectionate in front of your aunt." he said to her with a tone of fake innocence.

Sabrina didn’t want to tell him that she had hit him in the arm as a way to appease the strange flutter she felt on her stomach when she heard his words.

"I’m sorry."

"No harm done, at least I think so..." he answered looking for a smile from her, but Sabrina was still thoughtful "But I have to tell you that to be so petite you do know how to hit."

"I grew up with Ambrose, I learned a trick or two."

"Surely you two were a couple of little monsters… running up and down this house doing mischief.”

His comment relaxed the suddenly tense atmosphere, she smiled at him because he was right, Ambrose and her used to drive their aunts’ crazy with their antics.

They entered into the kitchen laughing, Hilda looked up at them.

"Hello, dears." she greeted them "Do you want me to prepare something for you?" Hilda added wiping her hands on her apron.

Sabrina shook her head “We are fine, auntie, we can prepare something for ourselves.”

While it wasn't one of Hilda's hearty breakfasts, Nick and Sabrina managed to cook eggs and bacon without burning anything. The coffee was good too.

"Speak for yourself, Scratch." she said when he mentioned they didn’t burn anything "I can cook, you can't even if your life depends on it."

"Hey! I helped you with the bacon, didn't I?"

"And you didn't burn it just because I was supervising you."

"Sometimes you're so bossy." he told her touching the tip of her nose with his finger, his voice sounded affectionate.

Hilda watched them in silence as she stretched the dough on the counter, seeing them right know she wondered why she had doubted about their relationship in the first place. They looked happy together and Sabrina had again that sparkle in her eyes she had not seen since her niece was a teenager who was beginning to discover what love was. She shook her head with a small smile on her lips.

Maybe Sabrina having a new boyfriend wasn't a bad thing.

* * *

Harvey would have expected to see anyone but Sabrina at his front door that afternoon, but there she was, wrapped in a red coat and with a long white scarf around her neck. She looked at him with her big brown eyes.

"'Brina? What are you doing here?" he asked opening the door a little more.

"Harvey… Hi, I think we need to talk."

"If this is about what happened the other night..."

"Of course it is." Sabrina interrupted him, she resisted her urge to roll her eyes "Can I come in? It’s a bit cold here."

"Yes, yes, sorry." Harvey replied, stepping aside to let her pass.

She entered to the living room. It was strange, enter to the Kinkle house again when the last time she had been there she still was Harvey’s girlfriend.

"Please, take a sit." he offered, pointing to one of the chairs, Sabrina couldn't help but remember the countless afternoons they had spent sitting there in his living room, watching horror movies that Harvey didn't really enjoy but watched anyway because she liked them.

She sat down in the couch, he did it too but in one of the armchairs. The silence was a bit awkward and Harvey shifted in his seat uncomfortable. Neither of them knew how to start the conversation.

Some minutes passed by in silence.

“The other night…”

“Why did you act like that, Harvey?” they talked almost at the same time.

Harvey took a deep breath before speaking again.

“Why?” he asked and Sabrina looked up at him “First, tell me why are you with him, ‘Brina? I really need to know that.”

Should she tell him the truth? For a minute she really wanted to tell everything to Harvey. She still loved him, maybe not romantically as she used to, but they still were good friends and friends don’t lie to each other.

But she lied anyway.

Sabrina shrugged her shoulders “It just happened, Harvey. Neither of us was looking for a relationship but we spend a lot of time together and Nick, he is… I like him, I really like how he makes me feel.” she was surprised to realize that not everything she had said was a lie.

“But… he is a jerk.”

“Please, don’t say that, Harvey.”

“Oh c’mon, ‘Brina… Do you really think he can’t remember my name?”

She nibbled her lower lip, she had no argument to defend Nick, even she knew he had been mistaken Harvey’s name on purpose all the time, but she had never stopped to think why he did it until now.

“Do you know why he did it?” she was surprised Harvey asked the same question she had been asking to herself “Because he was jealous.”

“Nonsense.” she answered without thinking. It was almost a reflex action, every time someone suggested Nick might be interested in her she answered the same.

“It’s true. I may not notice a lot of things but I noticed this. He was into you since the beginning… and he never tried to hide it.” Sabrina was silent, what Harvey was saying didn’t make sense. And at the same time… “The way he looked at you, the way he still looks at you. A guy notices when someone else is interested in his girlfriend.”

She was about to tell him that Nick wasn’t interested in her. He couldn’t be interested in her.

Nick was a flirt but she had always thought he was just teasing. He knew she had a boyfriend at the time.

But he continued doing it after she broke up with Harvey.

She had never thought that maybe, deep down, could be some truth behind his flirtatious attitude.

“I think I may be bit jealous of him now…” Harvey said pulling her out of her thoughts, she looked up at him once more “We may not be together anymore but you still are my friend and I care about you.”

“Harvey…”

“I don’t trust him, not a bit.”

“Nick would never do something that could hurt me, Harvey, he… he cares about me.”

_He could even love you_ , said a voice inside of her that she preferred to ignore.

Harvey shrugged.

“I don’t know… I’m really sorry, ‘Brina, I acted like an idiot and ruined the night for everyone with my attitude but I still think the same about him.”

Sabrina simply nodded.

“Harvey, I’m not asking you to be best friends with Nick or anything like that, but can you two at least polite to each other?” Sabrina knew she would have to talk with Nick too “We are going to stay here until New Year and I don’t want to miss the opportunity to hang out with my friends.”

“I’m going to behave, I promise.” he said with a smile, she smiled back at him.

“Thank you, Harvey.”

The uneasiness between them finally disappeared. Sabrina asked about his job and Harvey asked about her book. They were talking like in the old times and he felt a bit guilty because he was about to bring the uneasiness back with his next words.

Harvey took a deep breath, he needed to ask something to Sabrina but he didn’t know how she would take what he had to say.

“I actually needed to talk about something with you too, ‘Brina.”

She nodded. He looked uncomfortable.

“Would you mind if I… I had been thinking of… Well, I…”

“Harvey? What is it? You are rambling.”

He took a deep breath again.

“I was thinking about asking Roz out.” he said a little too fast, his own cheeks were a bit red this time.

Sabrina was surprised because she had never thought that could happen.

“Why are you asking me this?” she had to ask him. She didn’t know why he had done it.

“We are friends, we were a couple, Roz is also your friend and I don’t want things become… awkward between the three of us.”

She smiled at him.

“You don’t need to ask me, Harvey. I’m ok with it, really.”

She was truly happy for her friends.

While she was walking back to the Mortuary after saying goodbye to Harvey, Sabrina couldn’t help but think about how odd their conversation had been. She tried not to think about what Harvey said about Nick.

But sometimes, she wondered if she was refusing to see the obvious.

Maybe she should ask him what was happening.

Maybe she should silence that annoying voice in her mind that was just saying nonsense.

When she entered to the Mortuary she only heard her aunt Hilda humming back in the kitchen. Sabrina took off her coat and went to the kitchen following her aunt’s voice.

“Hi, auntie” she said entering in the kitchen, her aunt stopped humming to give her a smile.

“Hi, love” Hilda answered while she took out of the oven a tray with freshly baked cookies.

“Where is everyone?” Sabrina asked walking towards her, looking at the cookies that covered almost every surface of the kitchen.

“Zelda went to talk to Father Blackwood,” Sabrina made a face that Hilda decided to ignore. She still didn’t know how her aunt could be around that man after everything that happened between them years ago “Prudence is hanging out with Dorcas and Agatha. And Ambrose went to the downtown with Nick because in his opinion, not mine, you are a terrible tourist guide.”

Sabrina shook her head “He probably dragged him to Dorian’s.”

Her aunt shrugged.

“Well, I guess I’ll go to my room then… Maybe I should call Roz, see what she is doing…”

“Or you could help me with these cookies, love.” her aunt offered, guessing what her niece actually wanted.

Sabrina had always liked to see how her aunt put together spectacular works of art with just a few cookies. She smiled.

“I’d love that.”

Hilda smiled back at her “Take an apron then and help me to put these cookies on the rack please”

Sabrina nodded while she knotted the strips of the apron in her back.

“What are you doing this year?”

“Oh, something simple…” her aunt replied “An ice castle.”

She was not surprised that her aunt called ‘simple’ something that without a doubt would end up being spectacular, she knew her aunt was an excellent baker and she would win the competition that year too.

Sabrina watched as her aunt prepared the various icing she would use to decorate the cookies, there were some shapes that she could easily recognize, such as gingerbread men and snowflakes and others that would surely make sense once her aunt began to build her castle.

"Ambrose seems to get along with Nicholas." Hilda said out of the blue.

"It seems." Sabrina replied, looking away from the cookies.

"Umm... He never got along with swee..." her aunt stopped in the middle of the sentence, which surprised Sabrina "Harvey."

Her niece shrugged, she never really understood why Ambrose hadn't been able to get along with Harvey, although perhaps it was because her cousin tended to ignore him every time their paths crossed.

Well, at least that was better than the open hostility her aunt Zelda had shown towards her ex-boyfriend.

"I guess they both didn't have much in common" Sabrina offered in response, her aunt nodded "Are you nervous about the wedding, auntie?" she asked to change the subject.

"Not really," her aunt replied as she started to assemble the cookies "Of course I want everything to be perfect, but I think the most important thing is that after that afternoon, I will be married to the love of my life."

Sabrina smiled sweetly at her aunt.

"And have you thought about where you are going to live?" she asked as she put the cookies together according to their shape. She watched as her aunt nibbled on her lower lip before refocusing on applying frosting on one of the cookies.

"You are really curious this afternoon, aren't you?"

"We haven't had much time to talk this last days, auntie."

"It’s true." Hilda admitted "Actually, it’s a complicated subject... part of me does not want to leave Zelda alone in this huge house but... I also want the opportunity to live alone with Cee. I have lived here all my life; I feel that maybe the change would be good to me. "

"I see..." Sabrina commented, her aunt had a difficult decision on her hands "I think you should do what is good for you, auntie. You have always worried about all of us, maybe it is time for you to think about what you need. "

Hilda nodded again. Her niece's words were not without truth.

She continued working on her masterpiece, while Sabrina helped where she could and watched as the huge castle began to take shape.

Sabrina noticed his presence before she saw him, the weight of his gaze on her was difficult to ignore. When she looked up, Nick was watching her from the threshold that opened into the kitchen. Her eyes locked with his.

"Oh hello, Nicholas." Hilda said breaking the moment between them when she realized he was there.

Her niece looked away and focused on the icing she was mixing. She vaguely listened as her aunt spoke to Nick before he left the kitchen. She hadn’t say a thing, Harvey’s words still ringing in her ears.

"Done." Hilda commented looking at her gingerbread creation. It was a tall castle decorated with snowflakes, diamonds and sweets. Two nutcrackers guarded the great entrance door of the wall that surrounded the castle.

"It's really beautiful, auntie... There's no way anyone can beat you in tomorrow's competition."

Hilda smiled pleased and proud of her creation.

* * *

It was strange, waking up in her childhood’s bed next to her best friend.

Especially when she could feel the arms of said friend hugging her around the waist and his breath against the sensible skin of the back of her neck. She closed her eyes for an instant enjoying the warm sensation of having someone's arms around her.

No, she told herself, it wasn't the feeling of some random arms around her what she enjoyed.

Deep down she knew it was because they were Nick's.

Sabrina's eyes snapped open. She was scared of her own thoughts.

She tried to pull away from his arms carefully of not waking him up but only managed to get Nick to hug her tighter and snuggle closer to her. She was surprised because she didn’t feel uncomfortable, being there, in his arms felt… _good_. And that thought made her get out of bed at full speed without caring if she woke him up or not.

Sabrina closed the bathroom door with perhaps more force than was necessary, she leaned her head against it, her heart beating fast and not exactly because of the rush with which she got out of bed.

She closed her eyes. What was happening to her? Harvey's words from the previous day began to spin in her head again, he had said that it was evident that Nick felt something for her, but... the question was if she felt something for him too.

She had never stopped to ask herself that question.

With her hand on her chest, feeling the rushing beat of her heart, she did it.

She remembered every moment, every accidental touch of hands, every word, every smile. And she could not ignore the way her cheeks reddened and her heart accelerated when she had him close to her.

Was she, Sabrina Spellman, attracted to Nicholas Scratch?

Did she like him as more than _just_ a friend?

With a care she hadn't had when she shot out of bed, she opened the door, Nick was still sleeping and she couldn't help but wonder what she really felt for him. With a sigh, she went out to find her clothes to start the day.

She was scared of her own feelings. Really scared.

It was Christmas morning and she should be thinking about the breakfast her aunt Hilda should have prepared, about the gifts and the proposal that Ambrose would make that morning, and only she knew about, and not about the feelings she could or could not have for Nicholas Scratch.

But while she was showering, she couldn't stop thinking about it, and while she was brushing her teeth or getting dressed, she couldn’t stop thinking. And when she came out of the bathroom, ready to wake him up to go downstairs for breakfast, she couldn’t take the idea out of her mind either.

_What the hell was she feeling?_

"Hey, sleepyhead, wake up." she said shaking Nick’s shoulder “It’s Christmas.”

Looking at his sleeping face made something flutter inside her and the desire to run her hand through his hair was hard to ignore. But when she was reaching out to do it, Nick opened his eyes and gave her a sleepy smile.

"Hi."

"Hi." she replied, her heart was still racing because she had been about to be discovered "Time to wake up, sleepyhead or Ambrose will eat everything aunt Hilda has prepared, and believe me you don't want to miss her special Christmas breakfast." Sabrina added with a somewhat nervous smile.

He ran her hand through his hair, ruffling it further as he sat up in bed.

"Okay, the breakfast part managed to convince me."

Sabrina laughed and hit him with one of the pillow playfully.

"Hey!"

"Go get ready, I'll wait for you."

Nick nodded before getting out of bed.

She let out a sigh when he closed the bathroom door and walked to the window seat to look outside, she needed to distract herself, she needed to stop thinking about what she might be feeling.

Sabrina looked outside, that year it had not snowed yet, but that wasn’t strange in Greendale. The snow always took longer to arrive to the town. She hoped it would snow before she left on New Year’s Day, she loved to see all covered by a white blanket of now, she liked to walk through the forest after a snowfall. And she wouldn’t mind having a snowball fight with Ambrose again, like they did in the old times.

She was smiling slightly when Nick came out of the bathroom.

He couldn’t help but admire her against the soft glow of the sun that entered through the window, Sabrina could feel his gaze on her and when turned around to look at him neither of them seemed able to look away from the other’s eyes.

For a minute, Nick felt he was able to tell her what he really felt.

“Sabrina, I… I need to tell you something.”

“Yes…?” she asked when he suddenly fell silent.

“I…” he took a deep breath “You…”

She was surprised to see him struggling with words, Nick always knew what to say, he was always so self-confident.

The bedroom door swung open making them jump at the sudden noise, they looked in that direction and saw Ambrose poking his head inside.

“What takes you so long? aunt Hilda doesn’t want to serve breakfast until we’re all at the table.” he explained.

“I’m sorry, Ambrose. We’ll be down in a minute.” Sabrina replied, her cousin nodded before leaving them alone “Nick… you wanted to say something to me?”

He looked at her eyes and shook his head.

“Actually, it was nothing. Forget it.” he answered with a shrug.

Nick decided to take Ambrose’s interruption as a signal. Maybe it wasn’t the time for him to open his heart.

But he couldn’t help wondering when it would be.


	8. The Christmas disaster

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!   
> I want to thank you for all the comments and kudos you have left on this story. Thank you very much!   
> There are just 2 or 3 chapters left and, if you follow me on Tumblr (same username as here), you already know that I'm working on something new because I just can't help it!  
> Now, let's see how Christmas goes at the Spellmans'.

Ambrose Spellman had never been so nervous in his life. He was worried that at any moment the fork he was using would fall to the floor because his hands were a bit sweaty.

Not even Hilda’s hearty Christmas breakfast seemed to tempt him to eat that morning.

Sabrina, the only person who knew the reason behind his sudden nervousness, looked at him and then to the plate he had barely touched, she muttered _‘eat’_ towards him and Ambrose nodded slightly before taking a generous portion of waffles and bring it to his mouth. He understood what Sabrina’s look meant, he needed to act normal or everyone at the table would suspect something was happening.

“Auntie, this is delicious,” he commented with a cheerful voice “as always, you’ve outdone yourself.” he sent her a wink before adding “I can’t wait to see what's for dinner.”

Everyone at the table laughed and the rest of the breakfast passed between laughter and conversations.

“Stay were you are, auntie.” Sabrina said to Hilda, who was about to stand up to collect the dishes after they finished eating.

“But…” she started to protest.

“You have done enough making us this marvelous breakfast, auntie.” Sabrina told her, with her hands she gently pushed her back to her sitting position “I got the dishes.”

“But it’s not necessary, love.” Hilda insisted.

“Oh, leave her do it, Hilda. Sabrina is right, you’ve done enough this morning.” Zelda told her as she took a drag of her cigarette.

“Let me help you, Spellman.” Nick offered, Sabrina nodded accepting his help.

“Thank you.”

They had just put the first dishes in the sink when Nick moved a little closer to her.

“Do you know why your cousin had been acting so strange?” he asked her in a whisper. She wasn’t going to admit it but his closeness had made her shiver slightly.

“Did you notice it?” she asked in turn, there was no use in denying. Nick nodded “Do you think the others noticed it too?” he nodded again, she motioned to him to get a little closer “He is going to propose to Prudence.”

“Well, that’s a really good reason to be nervous.”

“What do you whisper so much, lovebirds?” Ambrose asked them. He had offered to help with the dishes because he needed something to do other than staying in his chair thinking about what he was about to do.

“Nothing.” Sabrina and Nick said almost in unison.

Ambrose looked at them like the cat that ate the canary and Sabrina’s eyes threw daggers towards him but he didn’t care. He enjoyed ruffling her cousin’s feathers from time to time.

Hilda insisted in helping with the leftovers but Sabrina stopped her again. After the table was clear, the leftovers in the fridge and the dishes clean the family and their guests went to the parlor where they gathered around the Christmas tree.

“Well, who wants to go first?” Cee asked.

Usually, the Spellmans began to open the gifts from the youngest member of the family to the oldest, that meant Sabrina was always the first to open her gifts, but that morning she gave up her position.

“Prudence, why don’t you start?” Sabrina suggested. Prudence looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

“If you are trying to make some kind of joke at my expense…”

Sabrina rolled her eyes.

“For heaven’s sake, Prudence. I would never do something like that. Just go look for your gift so we can open ours then.”

Still staring at her, Prudence bent down to search through the gifts until she found the small box wrapped in gold paper with a large white bow on top and her name on it.

Ambrose took a deep breath as she began to rip the paper. His heart was pounding when she opened the jewelry box where the ring was.

Prudence looked from the ring in her hands to Ambrose, who was waiting for her answer with a bent knee on the floor. Hilda tried to suppress a squeak but failed, everyone stayed in silence waiting for Prudence’s answer.

“What is the meaning for this, Ambrose?” she asked in a harsh tone.

“This ring means… Prudence, love, will you marry me?”

Everyone in the room began to feel a bit uncomfortable when the silence stretched for too long and Prudence still didn't give an answer to Ambrose.

Sabrina bit her lower lip, she knew that silence couldn’t mean anything good.

“Is this some kind of joke?” Prudence asked looking from Ambrose to her cousin. Sabrina denied “It’s not funny.”

“I’m asking you to marry me, Pru. I would never joke about something as important as this.” he answered still with the knee bent on the floor, the posture was beginning to be a bit uncomfortable but he intended to stay that way until he heard her answer.

“Really, Ambrose? Marrying?” Prudence looked at him, there was something in her eyes he didn’t like it “It’s too early for this nonsense. I’m leaving.”

She put the box in Ambrose’s hand before storming out of the room. It took him a few seconds to stand up. Everyone else in the room was in silence, still shocked and uncomfortable by what they had just seen.

“She said no?” he asked in a low voice.

“I wouldn’t say she said no…” Sabrina replied “but she didn’t say yes either.”

Her cousin looked at her confused. He didn’t know what to do next. He didn’t know what to feel.

“Do you want a cup of tea, love?” Hilda offered to him, she put her hand in his arm and gave him a gentle squeeze.

“No, auntie. I’m fine.”

“Ambrose…”

“I should talk to her…?” he asked looking at Sabrina for advice. She nodded.

“You should.”

“Yes, you are right. I’ll talk to her.” Ambrose said before leaving the room.

"Tea? really, Hilda?" Zelda snorted "After being rejected what he needs it’s a drink. I need a drink too." she added before approaching to the liquor cabinet.

"Isn't it a bit early for that, Zelda?" her sister asked in turn.

She gave her a look that clearly said _‘no’_ before pouring herself a rather generous glass of bourbon.

"Well, maybe we should save this for later," Hilda said. The atmosphere was anything but festive at the time, the others nodded "I'd better prepare for the competition. Will you help me, love?" she asked to Cee.

"Sure. Whatever you need, Hilda."

Hilda gave him a small smile. She was concerned about Ambrose, she loved the boy and it hurt her to see him suffer.

“Sabrina, Nicholas, you will be there, right?”

“Sure, auntie.” Sabrina answered.

Her aunt nodded before leaving the room accompanied by her fiancé. Zelda continued sitting on the armchair, too busy with her glass of bourbon to pay any attention to either of them.

“I must have suspected something like this could happen.” Sabrina said, snapping Nick out of his thoughts. He looked at her confused.

“Why? You couldn't have known that something like this would happen.”

“Yes, but…” she sighed “When Ambrose asked Prudence to date him in a more… _official_ way, well, she sort of freaked out just like now. I have almost forgot that.”

Nick was about to say something when Prudence's voice drifted down the hall.

"No, Ambrose. I’m leaving, really.”

"But, Pru, love..."

There was no response but a slam of the door.

"Ahh... Well, nothing better than a little drama on Christmas morning. Don’t you think?” Zelda commented from the place in the armchair.

"Auntie Zee!” Sabrina scolded her “Don't say that!”

Zelda just shrugged before taking another sip of her drink.

"I should go talk to him, right?" Sabrina asked Nick. He nodded.

She gave him a look that he was unable to interpret before leaving the room.

* * *

Nick was leaning on the porch railing looking at the few stars that that night adorned the sky, in his hands was the gift he had tried to give to Sabrina the whole day without success.

He couldn't give it to her in the morning because when Sabrina descended from Ambrose's room it was time for them to go see the gingerbread house’s exhibition in the town square, which of course Hilda won again.

He tried to give her the gift after the competition ended but when he was about to do it, Roz and Theo appeared and they stayed talking until it was time to go back to the Mortuary. Sabrina spent the rest of the afternoon trying to persuade Ambrose to come down from his room, to eat something. Her efforts finally paid off when he showed up for dinner.

Dinner hadn't been as lively as breakfast was. Prudence's rejection was still too fresh.

Ambrose barely ate his food and was the first to excuse himself of the table without even touching his dessert.

The table was even quieter after he left.

And now, Christmas day was almost over and he still couldn’t give her the gift.

"What are you doing out here, Nick?"

He turned to see Sabrina coming out of the house, she walked towards him and leaned her elbows on the railing next to him, waiting for his answer.

"I'm just enjoying the night air." he finally said.

"Isn't it a little cold to do that?" she asked with a smile.

He shrugged, she could tell he seemed somewhat distracted that night.

"Is something wrong?" Sabrina couldn't help asking him, but he just shook his head no. She didn't believe him "You know you can talk to me about anything, right?" she insisted.

Nick nodded. Of course he knew he could count on her, but he couldn't do what she asked of him. He did not feel able to tell her what was really happening to him.

What he felt for her.

"Of course I know, Spellman." he replied in turn, giving her a smile that Sabrina knew too well. Actually, it wasn't really a _smile,_ because when Nick really smiled, his eyes always shone, and this time they didn't.

Sabrina still didn't believe him, she knew there was something bothering him and she needed to know what it was. She wanted to help him. But she needed to know what was happening and although the desire to keep pushing him until she got an answer was something difficult to ignore, she didn’t.

She sighed.

"Promise me that when you feel ready you will tell me." She said looking towards the place where the property ended and the forest began, Nick turned to look at her but she kept her gaze fixed on the distance.

"I'm fine, Sabrina. Really." he insisted but she still didn't look at him. When she finally turned around he could see that her warm brown eyes were bright with tears "What's wrong?"

"I am just... a little sad about everything that happened with Ambrose."

"Sabrina..."

"I don't know what to do to help him, Nick."

He reached out his hand to wipe away a tear from her cheek, but his hand did not leave her face immediately, his finger traced the line of her cheek slightly flushed from the cold night air. She leaned against his touch, comforted by it.

He moved a little closer to her.

His thumb trailed down to her lower lip. A gasp escaped from her parted lips and that faint sound was what broke the trance in which they were in. Nick pulled away from her.

Sabrina blinked a few times trying to figure out what had just _almost_ happened between them.

"Nick...?" she didn't know very well what question she was going to ask.

"I have something for you" Nick blurted out.

"What?"

"Your Christmas present." he explained "with everything that has happened I haven’t been able to give it to you."

He handed her a gift wrapped in bright red paper that she hadn’t notice it was in the railing the whole time. Sabrina smiled at him.

"Merry Christmas." he said with a nervous smile. He couldn’t stop thinking if she was going to like his gift, if it was too much. If it was too little.

"Nick... you shouldn't have." she told him when she opened the box and saw the delicate silver bracelet inside. The little star-shaped charms on it glittered in the dim light of the porch.

"I wanted to do it." he explained "I saw that bracelet one day and it reminded me of you."

"Still..." she started to say, it was obvious that it was a rather expensive gift.

"Do you like it?" Sabrina looked away from the bracelet to look at him and nodded "That's the only thing that matters."

"It's beautiful, Nick."

He smiled for real this time, with that kind of smile that he apparently reserved only for her and Sabrina could feel her heart racing just as it had minutes before when he had touched her face, her lips.

"May l?" Nick asked pointing to the bracelet, Sabrina nodded. He took the box from her hands and placed it on the railing, he took out the bracelet to put it on her wrist. One of his fingers traced the outline of a small star and she felt chills on her skin "Perfect."

"Thanks Nick." Sabrina said admiring the bracelet.

"I'm glad you liked it."

They stayed in silence, looking at each other, until Sabrina remembered something.

"I have something for you too. It's inside..." She made the gesture to go towards the house but he stopped her with his hand on her arm.

"Wait," Nick told her, his eyes fixed on the outside, "look, it's starting to snow."

"What?" Sabrina asked confused, she looked in the same direction he was looking, it took her a few seconds to notice the small snowflakes in the air "You're right. It's snowing."

They stayed there, watching the snowflakes fall. It would still be hours before the ground was covered by snow.

Sabrina leaned her head against Nick’s shoulder, her eyes fixed on the falling snow. He put his arm around her waist.

"Merry Christmas, Nick." she muttered.

"Merry Christmas, Sabrina."

He leaned in to place a soft kiss on her temple, he didn't know why he did it, it just felt right. She let out an almost imperceptible sigh when his lips touched her skin.

And that's when she realized.

She liked Nick. And she liked him a lot.

Sabrina looked at him, and Nick, feeling the weight of her gaze, looked away from the falling snow. As he did so, his arm lost contact with her waist and she missed his warm immediately.

They stared at each other for a few seconds, minutes, hours, they didn’t know.

“Nick...” Sabrina stopped, hesitant, she didn’t know what to say to him. _Hey, I like you_ , didn’t seem so appropriate “Maybe we should go inside. It’s cold.” Was what she ended up saying. That wasn’t what she wanted to say to him.

Nick nodded, his eyes still fixed on hers.

Harvey was right, Sabrina thought, Nick looked at her in a different way. Warmer. Softer.

“Yeah, we better go in.”

They noticed how truly cold was outside when they entered to the house. The temperature had dropped a few degrees since it had started to snow. Sabrina rubbed her hands trying to warm them.

“Do you want some hot chocolate?” she offered “I’m sure I saw aunt Hilda put some in the fridge, I just need to heat it up a bit.”

“I could use some hot chocolate.”

“Wait for me in the parlor. I’ll be right back.”

“I can help.”

“It’s alright, Nick. It’s just heating up some chocolate, it’ll only take a few minutes.”

And she needed some minutes alone to compose herself after what she had just realized.

Nick nodded slowly. Sabrina headed to the kitchen and he saw her disappearing down the hall before entering in the parlor. The room was dark, with everything that had happened, no one had bothered to turn on the tree lights, so he did, because he now knew how much Sabrina liked it.

_Sabrina_ … He couldn’t stop thinking about how strange their encounter on the porch had been. He couldn’t stop thinking about how good it felt to have his arms around her.

And she seemed to like it too.

Nicholas Scratch wasn’t a shy person, but when he thought about telling Sabrina his true feelings… He was terrified.

So he remained silent, but with every passing day it seemed more and more hard to him to continue in silence. He was afraid someday he could end up blurting his feelings for her out in a completely inappropriate moment.

“Here I am,” Sabrina announced, walking into the room, her voice was enough to pull him out of his thoughts “I told you it would only take a few minutes.”

She handed him one of the mugs with hot chocolate. Nick thanked her with a nod before blowing the mug, he took a sip. He was sure Hilda Spellman’s hot chocolate had ruined all the other hot chocolates in the world for him.

Sabrina also took a sip of her chocolate, and for some minutes they just stood there, in front of the tree sipping their hot chocolates in silence. They felt comfortable like that, enjoying each other’s company.

“Oh, right, I haven’t given you your Christmas gift.” Sabrina said suddenly, she left her mug on one of the tables and went to get the gift from under the tree, it wasn’t hard to find. She stood up and returned with Nick “Merry Christmas” she said to him, he put down his mug too and took the gift from her hands.

He began to unwrap the gift. It was a book, Nick read the summary in the back cover. He turned the book around to look at cover, it was a book about World War II he had intended to buy when he returned to the city.

He didn’t know how she knew he wanted the book, he didn’t remember telling her about it.

“How?” he asked with a small smile on his lips “I was going to buy it when we came back.”

Sabrina shrugged “You forget I know you, nerd. And I know how much you like history books, so when I saw this one in the bookstore I just knew you would like it.”

Nick smiled at her.

“I love it, Sabrina. Thank you.”

* * *

Sabrina took a deep breath before knocking on the door.

She didn’t really know if what she was doing was correct or if she was just meddling where no one had called her. She shook her head, Ambrose was suffering with Prudence absence and she couldn’t continue see him with that sad expression in his face without doing something.

So she went to talk to Prudence.

She knocked on the door. It took some minutes before this was opened.

“Sabrina,” said Agatha “what are you doing here?” suspiciousness was written all over her face.

“Hi, Agatha,” Sabrina greeted her “I need to speak with Prudence, is she here?”

She knew Prudence was there, she had no other place to go except Dorcas and Agatha’s house. Everyone in town knew her relationship with her father and stepmother was strained at the best.

“I don’t know if she wants to talk to you. Or any Spellman for that matter.”

“Agatha…” Sabrina said.

“Who is it, sister?” She heard Prudence’s voice approaching from the hallway, she stood at Agatha’s side “Sabrina.” she said when she saw her, there was surprise in her voice “what are you doing here?”

“Prudence, hi. I need to talk with you.”

She nodded and both Sabrina and Agatha were surprised she had agreed so quickly. Sabrina had come willing even to beg to her if she said no. Even if that was really humiliating.

“Are you sure?” Agatha asked, Sabrina could hear a note of concern in her voice. She had always been curious about the relationship between Prudence, Agatha and Dorcas, they could be so loving with each other but they also were such a bitches with the rest of the world.

Prudence nodded towards her friend and Agatha stepped aside to let Sabrina pass.

“Could you leave us alone, Agatha?”

“Sure, I’ll be in my room in case you need anything.” she said before walking away to leave them alone.

“What do you want to talk with me?” Prudence asked to Sabrina, she crossed her arms in front of her chest in a clearly defensive posture. This wasn’t going to be an easy talk, Sabrina thought “If you come as Ambrose’s messenger…”

Sabrina shook her head in denial.

“I’m here on my own. Can we at least sit down to talk?”

Prudence snorted but shrugged before gesturing to Sabrina to follow her into the small living room. They sat in opposite armchairs, she looked at Sabrina, waiting for her to start to speak.

“Do you love my cousin?” Sabrina asked after taking a deep breath.

Prudence would have been less surprised if she had slapped her. She wasn’t expecting that question.

“That’s not your business.”

“Prudence, I know, but…”

"If that's all you came to say..." she said standing up but Sabrina cut her off.

"Why don't you want to marry him? You already live with him, why not get marry?"

“You would never understand.” Prudence said in a tone that Sabrina could only qualify as vulnerable. And that was a shock for her, Prudence Blackwood was anything but vulnerable… or maybe she was wrong. She didn’t know her well after all.

“Why don’t you try to explain me?”

Prudence raised one of her eyebrows.

“Why should I? We are not even friends.”

“I know, we’ve never been on good terms,” she admitted “but, Prudence, Ambrose is not well with all this. He loves you.”

“I promised myself that I would never marry.” Prudence decided to be honest, to open her heart towards her, waiting for Sabrina to understand the reasons behind her attitude.

“What? Why…?”

“Actually, I promised myself that I would never fall in love, and I already broke that promise.” Prudence said interrupting Sabrina’s question “I intent to hold on the only promise I have left at least.”

“Why would you promise yourself such a thing?”

“My father refused to marry my mother,” Sabrina nodded, remembering hearing something about that at some point “and she couldn’t bear it.”

“But this is different. You are not your mother, and Ambrose is nothing like your father.”

“I made a mistake falling in love with Ambrose.”

Sabrina could see more clearly what was happening “You are afraid… Scared of what you feel.”

Prudence remained silent.

“Prudence, there is nothing wrong with being in love or getting marry.”

“Marriage does not ensure happiness, Sabrina. It just destroys it, if you don’t believe me, look at my father’s marriage.” A could laugh left Prudence’s lips “Poor Constance, no? Having to endure all my father’s infidelities, after all, he wasn’t very discreet about the affair with your aunt. And it was me who paid the consequences.”

Sabrina felt uncomfortable, Zelda’s affair with Blackwood had been the talk of the town at the time, a subject she didn’t like to remember.

“But Ambrose is different, Prudence, and you know it.” Deep down, of course she knew it, Ambrose was different, he loved her but fear was irrational. And she didn’t want to get hurt.

Even when her decision had her already suffering.

“I can see you’re not ok with this too. Please Prudence, at least talk to Ambrose. Tell him how you feel, I think you owe him at least that.”

"Why are you doing this, Sabrina? You don’t like me, you should be happy Ambrose and I…" she didn’t know if they had broken-up, she had just left without hearing him.

“I could never be happy about it. Ambrose loves you and I love my cousin, I can’t bear to see him like this. I want him to be happy, and you make him happy.” Sabrina was being honest “If you don’t want to be with him anymore, that’s fine, don’t go back to him, but at least tell him your reasons. Let him understand what happened.”

Prudence stared at her. Inside her, her emotions were fighting with each other. She loved Ambrose, really loved him, but she was also scared. Scared of being hurt again. Sabrina would never understand, neither would Ambrose, they had been raised in a home were love and understanding abounded. They didn’t know what it felt like not to feel loved.

She did. And it wasn’t a pleasant feeling.

But Sabrina was right, Ambrose didn’t deserve to stay in the dark, at least she should let him know how she felt, why she was so scared.

"I'm going to talk to him but I don’t know if that would help."


	9. Under the mistletoe

Sabrina put the bouquet her aunt Hilda had carried during the wedding ceremony in a vase before leaving it on the nightstand of her aunt – _now_ – old bedroom.

Aunt Hilda was moving out of the Mortuary, she had communicated her decision to the family the day before. So, after a short honeymoon in some place Cee still kept as a secret, Hilda would leave the house she had lived in her whole life to start a new life with her husband in a small cottage on the outskirts of the town.

The wedding had been beautiful in its own simplicity.

The ceremony took place inside the Mortuary but the reception would be held in a tent in the garden where the guests were already gathering, Sabrina had stayed behind to leave the flowers in a safe place.

Even though she no longer lived there, it felt strange to think about the house without Hilda. Her aunt Zelda hadn’t said much after her sister broke the news but Sabrina suspected she felt a bit sad too, after all they had lived together all their lives and now she would have to live in the big house all by herself.

Sabrina took a last look at the bedroom before leaving, the house was silent while she walked down the hallway.

She was coming down the stairs when she saw him.

Nick was standing at the foot of the stairs, his dark eyes fixed on her. She couldn’t help but smile at him.

“You look stunning. I mean, seriously, I’m stunned.” He commented extending his hand for her, she took it and walked down the last steps of the stairs. She felt her cheeks flush a little, and her smile grew larger, secretly pleased with Nick’s compliment.

“Well, you don’t look so bad yourself, Scratch.”

They hadn’t seen each other since breakfast that morning, Sabrina had been busy helping her aunt to get ready for the wedding.

And she had missed him.

She didn't know what it would be like to go back to her normal life where she didn't see Nick every day.

Nick’s eyes remained fixed on her. Sabrina looked beautiful in her light blue dress, almost ethereal.

“By the way, what are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be outside with the rest of the guests?”

Nick shrugged. Would he tell her that he had stayed behind because he wanted to have a chance to be alone with her for some minutes, without having to share her with everyone else?

Would he tell her that he missed her even though they had been in the same house the whole time?

“I stayed to escort you back to the party.” Nick said instead.

Sabrina shook her head, a smile on her lips.

“That’s a bit old-fashioned even for you, don’t you think?” he shrugged again and she just shook her head before walking towards the entrance door, holding hands.

As Nick had suspected, as soon as they stepped inside the tent, Sabrina was taken away from his side. She muttered a short _‘I’m sorry’_ before going to where she was needed this time. Apparently, the duties of a bridesmaid, especially when there was only one, didn’t end with the _‘Yes, I do’_ of the bride and groom.

“I’m afraid you won’t see her much today.” Ambrose, who was now standing next to him, said. He handed him a glass and Nick took it. He hadn’t notice when he arrived, he had been too distracted watching Sabrina walking away from him.

“Thanks.” Nick replied with a nod towards the drink, then he added “I think you are right.”

“I tend to be right the most of the time.” Ambrose said with a smug smile on his lips but Nick noticed the smugness didn’t reach his eyes.

“So humble.”

Ambrose shrugged before taking a sip of his own drink.

“Have you talked to her?” Nick knew what Ambrose was talking about.

“Ambrose…”

He sighed dramatically before looking at Nick “You two are so stubborn.”

“It’s not that…”

“Oh, stop making up excuses, Nick, just tell her and live with the consequences.”

“You say it like it’s that simple.” Nick answered before taking a sip from his glass. The alcohol burned down his throat.

“You like her and she likes you. I don't see the difficulty.” Ambrose said with a shrug.

Nick sighed. Maybe Ambrose was right. Maybe it _was_ simple.

“I know it seems simple...” Ambrose nodded but Nick could say he looked distracted, his gaze fixed on the entrance of the tent.

Nick followed his gaze and saw the reason why Ambrose was no longer paying attention to what he was saying.

Prudence was there, she was accompanied by two women he didn’t know but he suspected they were the friends Sabrina had mentioned before, Agatha and Dorcas.

“Ambrose?”

“I didn’t think she was coming…” he murmured, his eyes still fixed on Prudence.

Nick was surprised to see her walking towards them.

“Is she coming this way?” Ambrose asked him, Nick could hear a note of nervousness in his voice.

“That’s what it seems like.”

Ambrose was nervous, his eyes didn’t leave her until Prudence arrived to their side alone, her friends had stayed behind near the bad.

Prudence stood a few steps away from Ambrose and Nick. She looked nervous too.

She took a deep breath before speaking. Surely she could do it. She just needed to tell Ambrose what she was feeling. What she was _truly_ feeling.

“Hi, Nick… Ambrose,” were her first words, she took another deep breath “Ambrose… do you think we can talk?”

“Eh… sure.”

“I think we need a more… private place to talk.”

“Yeah, sure, ehh… let’s go to the house. We can talk there.”

Prudence nodded.

Nick saw them leaving the reception. He was alone again, Sabrina nowhere to be found.

It wasn’t the first time he was at an event where he hardly even knew anyone, but all those times he at least had some theme in common with them. Here, he didn’t know what to talk about. Nick took the last sip from his drink before heading towards the makeshift bar.

He wished Sabrina came back soon.

“Hi.”

Nick, who was waiting for his drink, turned around. One of the women he had seen with Prudence minutes ago, the read-headed one, was in front of him with a smile in her dark colored lips.

“Hi.” He answered back, he smiled trying to be polite.

“I’m Dorcas.” She said introducing herself.

“I’m Nicholas Scratch. Nick Scratch.”

She nodded.

“I’ve never seen you in town before, you are a distant relative?”

“Actually, I’m Sabrina’s boyfriend.” Nick said recognizing the meaning of the glint in her eyes. He wanted to leave but there was no polite way of doing it, at least not yet.

“Ahh” Dorcas exclaimed “I didn’t know she had a _new_ boyfriend.”

Nick shrugged, he was feeling more uncomfortable with each passing second, Dorcas was looking at him as if he were part of the cocktail too.

“And where is Sabrina? I would like to say hi to her, I haven’t see her in a while.”

“Someone needed her, I’m waiting for her to come back.”

Dorcas nodded, her smile grew bigger and Nick didn’t like it.

He really needed to leave.

“Well, Dorcas? It was a pleasure to meet you, but… I need to go.” He told her, Nick was about to leave, his drink forgotten, when she took him by the arm. He looked at her, his gaze a mix of confusion and annoyance.

“You can’t go,” she told him and his confusion only grew “you owe me something.”

What the hell she was talking about? He just met her, there was no way he could owe her anything. Nick was starting to suspect that Prudence’s friend was a bit crazy.

Dorcas raised her gaze to the ceiling and he did the same. There, hanging shamelessly over their heads, was a single branch of mistletoe.

_Damn it_ , who had ever thought that hanging that hideous plant -and in a wedding reception no less- was a good idea?

“You see, Dorcas… I don’t think…”

“But it’s the tradition.” Dorcas answered him. She tried to bring her hand up his chest but he leaned back trying to put as much distance from her as he could but the bar at his back was making it difficult for him.

Stupid, stupid tradition.

In another moment of his life he would not have refused to kiss a stranger under the mistletoe, he might even have done _more_ than just kiss said stranger, but things were different now. Even when they weren’t really together, kissing someone else would feel like cheating on Sabrina. And it was stupid, he knew, but he couldn’t help it.

He needed to escape.

“Dorcas!”

Nick breathed in relief when he saw Sabrina walking towards them. Dorcas threw daggers at her.

“Could you take your hands off my boyfriend?” Sabrina asked to her. Nick didn’t know if he was wrong but he could swear he had heard some jealousy in Sabrina’s voice. And he really liked the emphasis she put in the word _boyfriend_. Even if he was a fake one.

“We are under the mistletoe, Sabrina,” Dorcas replied with a shrug of one of her shoulders “you know what that means.”

Sabrina rolled her eyes.

“I know you. I’m sure you planned this.”

“Oh, c’mon Sabrina, don’t be such a drama queen. It’s just the tradition, you can’t break it.”

“You’re right.” Sabrina said and Nick looked at her confused. Did she want him to kiss other woman… and in front of everyone?

Dorcas smiled before turning her head towards him, Sabrina took advantage of her momentary distraction to push her away.

“Hey!” Dorcas exclaimed.

“As I was saying, you are right, Dorcas.” Sabrina was looking at her with fury in her brown eyes “It’s not appropriate to break a tradition.”

She brought her hands to the lapels of Nick’s suit and looked up at him, leaned a little closer to him.

He had no time to react before her lips were over his.

It was such a brief kiss that it ended when it was just beginning.

And left them wanting more. So much more.

“What was that?” he couldn’t help asking when she pulled back from him.

“I’m sorry.” She replied in a whisper, her hands still on his chest “I couldn’t let her get away with it.” Sabrina looked up at him “Are you mad at me?”

Nick’s hand went to her cheek, his thumb caressing her soft skin. She stopped talking lost in his touch.

“I’m not mad at you.” She sighed relieved “I don’t think I’m capable of being mad at you actually.”

She smiled at him.

Nick wanted nothing more than to trace the curve of her smile with his finger but he refrained from doing it.

His hand fell from her cheek and she missed his warmth immediately.

* * *

“Prudence, please sit down.” Ambrose asked her, he was sitting in one of the parlor chairs looking how she paced from one side of the room to the other without saying a word since they arrived to the house.

“I'm sorry, Ambrose.” she blurted out “I shouldn’t have acted like I did when you… proposed to me. I shouldn’t have left without at least giving you an explanation.”

“Prudence…”

She raised a hand to stop him, she took a deep breath to prepare herself.

“Let me talk, please. This… this is hard for me.”

Ambrose nodded in silence.

“I love you.” She said and he felt hope nesting inside his chest “But I can’t marry you.”

“Why? I don’t understand…” Ambrose couldn’t help but ask.

Prudence took another deep breath. She was nervous, she was about to open her heart –truly open her heart– to him, she was about to tell him things that she thought she would never say to anyone other than Agatha and Dorcas, whom she considered her sisters.

But she knew that Sabrina was right, even though she would never admit it out loud.

Ambrose needed to know what was really going on.

He needed to know why she had said no. He needed to understand what she was feeling, the reasons why she had acted as she did.

So she told him everything. All about her fears, about what she had to go through since she was a child.

“I’m scared, Ambrose.” She admitted in a rare moment of vulnerability.

“Prudence, love” he said reaching out for her hand “I would never hurt you. You know that, right?”

She nodded.

“Even so…”

“You love me?” he asked.

She nodded again.

“Come back with me then. If you don’t want to put a label on us that’s fine with me, as long as I can be by your side…”

“Ambrose… aren’t you mad at me?”

“Why would I be mad at you?”

“Because I said no to you in front of your whole family, because I don’t want to marry you.”

Ambrose shrugged. He pulled her towards him until she ended up sitting on his lap, Prudence wrapped her arms around his neck.

“I don’t care, love. I already told you, as long as I can be with you, everything is fine for me.” He lifted her chin so he could see her eyes bright with barely contained tears “I just thought you might want us to formalize our relationship a little more.”

She shook her head.

“Not now, I don’t need a label on us or a ring on my finger.” Prudence replied, a small smile forming on her lips.

“And that’s fine for me.” He insisted “Just don’t push me away again, Pru. I love you too much to lose you.”

“I love you too.” She said almost in a whisper.

It was a big step for her, saying it aloud.

“So… we are good?”

“We are good.” She confirmed with a nod.

Ambrose leaned closer to catch her lips with his.

* * *

Sabrina leaned toward the sink and splashed cold water on her face before starting her skincare routine, she couldn’t help but touch her lips and remember how Nick’s lips felt on hers.

She had kissed Nicholas Scratch.

Even though it had been a brief kiss, barely a brush of lips she still couldn’t shake the tingling sensation his lips had left on hers.

And she wanted more.

A sigh escaped from her lips.

It had been a bit awkward, continuing to act naturally after the kiss, and despite the fact that they had smiled at each other and chatted easily with the rest of the guests at the reception, she could feel the tension under the surface, she could feel that invisible string that was drawing her to him, that made her want to touch him more, to be closer to him.

To kiss him once more.

And she was sure Nick felt it too.

His hand on the small of her back when he had walked her to the table had burned even with the fabric of her dress in between. And when they danced, they did it closer than two friends would. And the way he had looked at her lips in that moment. Heavens, she was sure he wanted to kiss her again.

And this time it wasn’t to put on a show in front of her family and friends.

But he didn’t end the distance between them. And neither did she.

Should she talk to him? Tell him how she felt about him? Tell him that she really wanted to kiss him again?

With a deep breath Sabrina left the bathroom.

Nick was already in bed, his back propped up on some pillows against the headboard. He was so absorbed in reading the book she had given him that he didn’t notice she had entered in the room.

He was wearing the glasses again. The ones she had seen him with that morning in his office so many weeks ago.

She gulped, he looked so damn good wearing them.

Nick looked away from the book to look at her and Sabrina felt her cheeks burn a little as she was caught staring, but now he was staring at her too and she could feel that strange tension in the air between them again.

“Come to bed, Spellman.” He finally said “You are tired.”

Sabrina nodded but even so she still took a few seconds before getting inside the bed. Suddenly, sharing the bed with him felt much more intimate than before.

She got into the bed trying to keep some distance between them, but Salem made it difficult when he jumped and curled up to sleep in the edge of the bed. Sabrina moved a little closer to Nick.

“Does it bother you if I have the light on for a little longer?” Nick asked her, Sabrina looked at him over her shoulder “I really want to finish this chapter.” he added as justification.

A small smile came to her lips.

“It’s no problem, although something tells me that after finishing that chapter you’re going to want to read the next one and the next…” Nick gave her a guilty look “Just don’t stay up too late.”

“I won’t. Really, it’s just one more chapter.”

She nodded before settling back to a more comfortable position to sleep. She fell asleep thinking about the kiss. About how she wanted to kiss him again.

It was the sunlight what woke her up, Sabrina snuggled closer between the covers, she felt so warm there, she didn’t want to go out to face the cold morning. She could feel Nick’s regular breathing against the back of her neck.

A chill ran through her. They need to talk.

But she didn’t know how to bring up the theme.

For the first time she was somewhat scared by the consequences her actions could have. Maybe he didn’t really feel anything for her and she would end up making a fool of herself and making their relationship more awkward than already was by talking about some feelings she didn’t quite understand yet.

Frustrated with herself, she groaned under her breath.

“Just talk to him.” She told herself.

But it seemed like the right moment would never come.

* * *

"Aunt Zelda hasn't come down yet?" Sabrina asked walking into the kitchen with Nick.

Ambrose, who just popped a mouthful of toast, shook his head, gulping quickly so he could speak.

"Strange, isn't it?" he commented before taking a sip of his tea.

"Definitely." Sabrina commented while she went for the coffee pot.

Usually Zelda was the first to get up in the house -sometimes even before Hilda- she always was a cup of coffee and a cigarette ahead of her family in the mornings. The fact that she still hadn’t come down that morning, after Hilda’s wedding no less, left Sabrina a bit confused and worried. She hadn’t had time to talk with her aunt about how she felt now that Hilda was leaving the Mortuary.

Sabrina and Nick sat down, none of them missed the fact that Ambrose seemed in a very good mood that morning.

“You look extremely pleased with yourself this morning, cousin.” She commented.

“You could say so.”

“Something happened?”

“As a matter of fact, yes.”

“And that would be…?” she insisted when he didn’t add anything else.

“Prudence and I talked and we are good again.”

“Oh, that’s great news, Ambrose!” she exclaimed, Sabrina was sincerely happy for her cousin, he deserved to be happy “So… are you already thinking of a date…?”

Ambrose denied.

“She doesn’t want to get married and I’m ok with it.”

Sabrina nodded before taking a sip of her tea. She knew that she would never fully understand her cousin and Prudence's relationship.

They heard her before they saw her, her heels tapping against the polished wooden floor, when Ambrose, Sabrina and Nick looked up they saw Zelda in the threshold of the kitchen.

“Why are you carrying your suitcase, auntie?” Sabrina asked.

“I’m leaving.”

“Leaving? Where?”

“If you must know, I’m going to New Orleans to spend the rest of the holidays with Mambo.”

“Oh! Say hi to her for me.” Ambrose asked, Zelda nodded, her gaze still fixed on Sabrina.

“But… This is a bit unexpected, I thought we would spend the rest of the holidays together.”

“Oh, please, Sabrina, you’re not a child anymore. You don’t need me here and your aunt Hilda is already in her honeymoon. Surely you are going to have more fun without me here.”

And she missed Mambo, but that last part she didn’t say it aloud because Zelda Spellman wasn’t used to show her feelings to others. At least not so easily.

“How did you get a ticket in the middle of the season?” Ambrose asked, realization came fast to him “Oh, you have already planned this.”

Zelda shrugged.

“Are you planning a honeymoon of your own, auntie Zee?” he said in a mischievous tone.

“Oh, please, Ambrose. Behave.”

"I wasn’t expecting this." Sabrina said.

"Of course you didn't."

“So, we are definitely going to Dorian’s to New Year Eve.” Ambrose said, Sabrina looked at him confused by his commentary.

“Dorian’s?”

Ambrose nodded “He is throwing a party, he asked if we were going to go and I didn’t give him an answer but now that aunt Zelda had plans of her own I’m going to call him to tell him we are in.”

“Great, looks like you have all settled down, then.” Zelda commented.

“Do you need a ride, auntie?”

“That would be great, Ambrose. Thank you.”

He took a last sip from his cup before getting up from the table.

“Ok, let’s go.”

“Bye, Sabrina” Zelda said, she nodded towards Nick “Nicholas, it was a pleasure to meet you.”

“The pleasure was all mine, miss Spellman.”

“Well, I really hope to see you again.” Sabrina bit her lower lip, soon they would have to come up with an explanation for their ‘breakup’ “Sabrina?” she looked up to her aunt “don’t let your cousin make a mess with the house again.”

“What?” Ambrose asked with indignation in his voice “What do you mean by that, auntie? It’s not like I’m going to… Wait, this is for that one…” he put emphasis in the last word “time I threw a party…”

Zelda nodded.

“But that was years ago! And it wasn’t _that_ bad.”

Her aunt didn’t say anything but gave him _the_ look.

“We’d better get going or I’ll be late.” Zelda commented “Goodbye, Sabrina, Nicholas.” She added before leaving the kitchen. Ambrose followed her, echoes of his voice still coming from the hall.

Sabrina shook her head.

“Tell me, Spellman,” Nick said turning around to look at her with a smile on his lips “how bad was that party?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It couldn't be a Christmas fic without a (brief) kiss under the mistletoe, right?
> 
> And I'm sorry if you expected more drama between Prudence and Ambrose, but it's not in me to make him suffer (so much)
> 
> We are almost at the end of this story, but as I already told you, I'm working on something new so you can't get rid of me so easily…


	10. New year's kiss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is the last chapter.  
> I always thought this story would be short (originally it was going to be a one-shot) and it ended up having 10 chapters!  
> I want to thank to all those who have read this story, have commented or left kudos, you are the ones who encourage us fanfictions writers– to write every day.  
> And thanks in particular to Alovinghexe for supporting me, giving me (a lot of) ideas and loving "Unwritten" probably more than I love it myself.

“This feels like the old times…” Roz commented, settling into Sabrina's bed as she had done so many times in the past “Like when we were in high school.”

“I know,” Sabrina replied “I missed this.”

“Me too.” Roz answered, she turned to look at Sabrina with a raised eyebrow “So… you and Nick, huh?”

“What about Nick and me?” Sabrina asked to her friend confused by the question.

“You two looked quite cozy at your Aunt Hilda's wedding.”

Sabrina lowered her gaze, her cheeks a bit flushed.

In the last few days, she had been mulling over her true feelings for Nick, she was not quite sure about what to do. She was a brave person so she didn’t understand why when she thought about talking to Nick she felt so terrified.

She didn’t know what to do. She needed to talk to someone, but doing so also meant having to tell someone else what was really happening between Nick and her. Ambrose, who was the only one aware of the true nature of their relationship was out of the question, she would never hear the end of it if she told him that what he suspected since day one was actually true.

But Roz was there and she was her best friend. If she could count on someone, that person was Roz.

“Sabrina?”

“Ah?”

“You seemed distracted. Is something wrong?”

Sabrina bit her lower lips. Her aunts were gone, there weren’t reason to keep up the charade. And she really needed to talk to someone.

“Actually, yes.” She sighed, Roz looked at her hopping she would continue “I have something to tell you.”

Roz nodded urging her to continue. She sighed again.

“Nick is not my boyfriend.”

“What?” her friend exclaimed surprised. Sabrina nodded “Why would you have to make up a boyfriend…?” Roz stopped realizing what the reason was “Harvey.”

Sabrina nodded again, she felt a bit uncomfortable bringing up the subject.

“Aunt Hilda still insisted that we should get back together every time we talked by phone.”

“And do you want that?” Roz asked feeling a suddenly insecure.

“What? No, Actually I just couldn’t take listening to her saying the same for the whole holidays. That’s why Nick came with me. But…”

“But…?”

“I think I may be in love with him. For real.”

“Well, it’s obvious he has feelings for you too.”

“Everyone says that.”

“It’s too obvious, ‘Brina. The guy is head over heels with you.”

“I don’t know… What if we misunderstand him and he actually only sees me as a friend? A good friend.”

“He doesn’t look at you as a friend.”

Sabrina sighed.

“It’s simple, ‘Brina. Just talk to him, tell him how you really feel, I’m sure he feels the same.”

Sabrina sighed again. It was easy. She just had to talk to Nick, tell him what she was feeling.

But if it was so simple, why did it seem so difficult?

_Nick, I like you. Nick, I think I’m in love with you._

It was simple, maybe too simple, just a few words so, why couldn’t she say it?

Why every time she thought about saying the words out loud did she feel a knot in her stomach?

* * *

“What is this?” Prudence asked to Ambrose as he set down a cocktail glass filled with a pink-hued liquid on front of her. He put one in front of Sabrina too, she also looked at the drink with curiosity and a bit of suspiciousness because someone could never know what Ambrose was up to.

“This, ladies,” Ambrose announced with a smile, “is Dorian’s New Year’s Eve special treat.”

Sabrina and Prudence just looked at him. He seemed extremely pleased with himself.

“It’s not what I asked for.” Prudence said with an annoyed frown on her lips “I said I wanted a margarita and not whatever this is. It was a pretty simple request, Ambrose.”

“I told you to just bring them what they asked for.” Nick commented, he was coming from the bar with Ambrose’s and his own drink, which of course weren’t a pair of wacky cocktails with a silly cocktail umbrella like Sabrina and Prudence’s.

He went to sit back on his chair.

“And you,” Prudence said looking directly at him, Nick seemed confused “why didn’t you stop him?”

“I tried, but Ambrose here is almost as stubborn as Sabrina.” He answered with a shrug, that earned him a smack on his arm from part of Sabrina. She smiled innocently at him when he turned to look at her.

Prudence had seen the exchange with a small smile in her lips.

“I ordered a margarita, no... whatever this is.” Prudence insisted, looking at the drink reluctantly.

“But Dorian said the ladies loved it.” Ambrose justified himself with a shrug.

“And since when did you start following the advice of a bartender?”

“When it comes to drinks?” Ambrose asked in turn with a smug smile on his lips “Always.” Prudence snorted but said nothing realizing that she had asked the wrong question.

Sabrina decided to try the infamous drink to see if she would come out in defense of her cousin or if she would join Prudence in scolding him. She took a sip of the drink, maybe it was a bit sweeter than she used to like it but it wasn't bad at all.

“You should try it, Prudence” she said “It's good.”

Ambrose winced at Prudence’s annoyed face, and was surprised when she actually did as Sabrina had told her. He was still a bit confused by the sudden change in their relationship.

“Fine, it's not _that_ bad.” Prudence said to no one in particular “Still, that doesn't mean I don't want what I asked for.”

Ambrose let out the air that he had inadvertently been holding when he saw that Prudence’s anger seemed to start to fade a bit. Or at least, that was what he hoped.

“I'm going to get you your margarita,” he promised putting his hands on her shoulders, he considered a good sign that she didn't try to get away from his touch.

“Good.”

Sabrina rolled her eyes towards Nick and he chuckled a bit, understanding perfectly what she meant. This time that earned him another annoyed look from Prudence.

That night, Dorian’s was bursting with people as Sabrina had never seen before. It seemed as if the whole town, or at least more than half of it, had gathered at the bar to welcome a new year. The music was a little too loud and she had to get close to Nick to listen what he was saying to her.

His characteristic scent, mint and a hint of leather, filled her nostrils. It was intoxicating and it made her feel butterflies in her stomach.

Roz's words came back to her mind and she couldn't help but wonder if the start of a new year would be the right time to confess what she really felt to him.

She had her forehead on Nick’s shoulder while she continued laughing about something he had just told her, but when she raised her head, she realized that someone in the crowd was trying to attract her attention waving his hand, at first she didn’t recognize who it was but when he started to get closer to their table she did.

“What the hell is he doing here?” Ambrose asked following his cousin’s gaze.

Sabrina shrugged before returning her gaze to the table.

“Who is Ambrose talking about?” Nick asked confused.

She was about to answer to him when she noticed the presence of said person standing at the side of their table, she gave Nick an apologetic smile before turning to look at the new comer, there was no way to avoid him.

“Caliban, hi.” She greeted him with a forced smile on her lips.

“Sabrina Spellman, it’s been many years since I saw you.” He replied “but you are as beautiful as ever.”

She tried, really tried, not to wince.

“What are you doing here?” this time it was Ambrose who asked.

Caliban continued looking at Sabrina as if it was her who had asked him and not her cousin.

“I came to see my father for the holidays” he answered because _of course_ he had misunderstood the question “I must say that seeing you is a really pleasant surprise.” Caliban added with a wink.

In that moment, Nick decided he hated him.

“Oh, Ambrose, hi.” he said as if he hadn’t noticed he was there when he talked to him before “And Prudence.” Caliban nodded towards her “and you are…?” he asked looking at Nick.

“Nicholas Scratch.” He replied, stretching his arm out onto the back of Sabrina's chair “Sabrina’s boyfriend.” Nick put special emphasis on the last word. She looked at him, confusion all over his face, she had never seen him so openly hostile towards someone.

“What happened to Kinkle?”

“We broke up.” Sabrina tried to resist the urge to roll her eyes at the question.

“Too bad I wasn’t here. It would have been _our_ chance.”

This time Sabrina couldn’t help it and winced, she knew that hell would freeze before that happened but decided to hold her tongue in name of civility.

“Yeah _, too bad_ ,” she said in an ironic tone.

“Don’t you have any friends to go back to?” Ambrose asked annoyed with the presence of the man. He never really liked him.

“Actually, I came alone.”

“Why that doesn’t surprise me?” Ambrose muttered.

“Do you mind?” Caliban said indicating the empty chair next to Sabrina. Although she wanted to say no to him, she really wanted to say no, she knew that would be rude of her and probably he would sit anyway.

“Sure, go ahead.”

The atmosphere at the table changed and became tense. Nick couldn’t help throwing daggers with his eyes at the extremely pleased Caliban who didn’t stop flirting with Sabrina, touching her arm and saying undoubtedly inappropriate things to her. And although he could tell she was a bit uncomfortable, and threw him one or two scathing retorts, Caliban didn’t seem to mind.

Nick didn’t understand why Sabrina wasn’t doing anything to stop him.

Did she actually like the guy?

It was not difficult to him to recognize that that strange sensation he felt in his chest every time the other man approached to Sabrina was jealousy.

That little part of him that couldn't help but feel a little insecure wondered how many times he would have to watch a scene like this until someone else conquered Sabrina's heart if he wasn't able to tell her how he truly felt about her.

“We should hang out together when you are back at the city.” He said when he found out she lived in New York too.

Nick was starting to get sick of this Caliban guy. And when he took Sabrina’s hand between his, he couldn’t take it anymore.

“I think you should leave.” He said standing up, willing to kick him out if necessary.

Caliban looked at him with a raised eyebrow, he stood up too.

“Make me.” Caliban replied approaching to Nick.

The tension filled the air. The animosity between them was almost palpable.

“Go away.” Nick insisted.

“I don’t want to.”

“Guys, stop this.” Sabrina said trying to get between them, Ambrose was starting to stand up too but she stopped him with a shake of her head. Ambrose getting involved could only make things worse.

Nick wanted to erase the smug smile from Caliban’s mouth with a punch, he really wanted to. He clenched his fists tightly at the sides of his body trying to control himself. He wasn’t a violent person but the guy in front of him really made him want to be one.

“Nick… please…” Sabrina asked him with pleading eyes.

He couldn’t take it anymore, he looked at Sabrina before walking away from the table.

He didn’t want to do something he would probably regret later like starting a fight on a bar. When he went out the cold night air managed to temper his anger a bit.

What was wrong with him? He didn’t lose his temper easily, he actually had never lost his temper before. He was a calm person and yet he had been about to punch the guy in the face. In front of a bar full of people.

In front of Sabrina.

He rubbed his face with his hand. He was sure his display of jealousy had given him away.

Sabrina probably hated him.

“Nick?”

He turned when he heard her voice behind him. She had followed him and he wasn’t expecting that.

“Go back inside, Sabrina.” he asked her with soft voice.

She didn't, instead she approached to him slowly. She put a hand on his arm, his muscles were tense under her touch, he pulled away from her. Nick didn't see the hurt look on her face.

“Go back inside.” He insisted.

“I don’t want to.” She said with a broken voice, she was a bit hurt by his attitude “why are you so angry, Nick.”

He let out an ironic laugh.

“And you have to ask?” his tone sounded somewhat scathing and he regretted it immediately. Sabrina didn’t have to pay for his bad mood. She didn’t deserve it.

“Is this about Caliban?” she insisted getting closer to him and this time he let her “He’s definitely annoying but harmless, really.”

“He didn’t seem so harmless to me.”

“Why are you so angry at him?” she asked with genuine curiosity.

He searched for her eyes with his.

“You have no idea, do you?” he said shaking his head, Nick let out another sigh before saying “Of course not… And that’s only my fault.”

She looked at him, confused by his words, by his actions.

“Nick…?”

He brought his hands to her shoulders. It wasn’t the right moment and he knew it, he couldn’t believe he was about to say to her what he had been keeping as a secret for so long but the words escaped from his lips.

He couldn’t hold them any longer.

“Can’t you see it?” he asked, his voice softer now. His hand went to her cheek, his fingers caressed her soft skin, cold due to the low temperature “Can't you see how I feel about you?”

“Nick…” she whispered, they were so close that their breaths, visible in the cold of the night, intermingled.

The way she said his name, almost like a plea, was what made him unable to take it anymore. He couldn’t continue hiding what he really felt.

Nick claimed her lips with his.

Despite his anger, his lips were soft and tender against hers. He wrapped his arm around her waist to bring her closer to his body as his other hand continued caressing her cheek, Nick changed the rhythm of the kiss when her hands went up to his chest.

With his kiss he was saying the words he had never dared to say to her.

Sabrina parted her lips allowing him to deepen the kiss, and he did so gladly. His arm brought her even closer to him, her hands went up to wrap around his neck.

There was some desperation in that kiss. There was a long contained desire in it.

There was love. So much love.

They stopped when the need for air was urgent. Nick didn’t let go of her waist, Sabrina pulled away slightly to look into his eyes, searching in them the answers he hadn’t given to her yet.

“I’m in love with you,” he blurted out the words he had kept as a secret for so long “I love you, Spellman. I’ve been doing it for time but… I…”

She stopped his rambling with a short kiss.

“Nick…” she whispered.

“It’s ok if you don’t feel the same way… I…” he began to say, a nervous smile on his lips.

Sabrina shook her head and he felt her heart fell to the ground. He looked at her with sad eyes.

“Nick… I… I love you too. It took me so long to realize what I was feeling for you, what I’m feeling for you.”

He shook his head.

“I’m sorry it took me so long to say it, but I didn’t want to ruin our friendship… if you didn’t feel the same way.”

She touched his cheek, Nick leaned against her warm touch.

“I never thought that… Everyone told me that you felt something for me but I couldn’t believe them,” Sabrina shook her head “I didn’t want to believe them. It took me a long time to realize that I also felt something for you” she added with a small smile in her lips “Something stronger than friendship.”

He couldn’t do more than kiss her.

“I love you.” Nick whispered against her lips and her smile grew bigger.

* * *

“Are you ready, Spellman?” Nick asked as he entered to the small room at the back of the book store.

Sabrina turned around to look at him, she shook her head.

“Nervous?” he inquired approaching to her, Nick cupped her cheeks with his hands, his thumbs caressing her soft skin.

She shook her head again and he raised an eyebrow confused.

“What’s wrong then?”

She smiled towards him.

“You haven’t kissed me properly today.” Sabrina said seriously, he smiled, his thumb ran over her jaw to caress her bottom lip.

“My apologies. But you know how my work is and I have this author, who is presenting her new book today and she’s quite demanding.” He commented with amusement in his voice.

“Yeah?” this time it was she who raised an eyebrow.

Nick nodded.

“Yeah, don't tell her that I told you but she's quite bossy…”

“Don’t tell me…” she commented, she ran her hand up to his chest. Nick held his breath “So, I know her?”

“Yes.”

Sabrina’s smile was bright and full of amusement as she played along with Nick, her hand went up to wrap around his neck.

“Then I think you shouldn’t disobey her, Nick.”

“Do you think so?” Sabrina nodded, her other hand wrapped around his neck too “And what does she want me to do now?”

“She wants you to kiss her.”

“Your wishes are my command.” He affirmed before catching her lips with his.

Every time he kissed her, she lost herself in the sensations he awoke in her, it was as if she could never have enough of him, of his kisses, of his hands on her.

She lost track of time.

“Nick…” she sighed his name when his lips moved down her jaw.

“Oh, for God’s sake!” Ambrose exclaimed when he opened the door “Can't you guys keep your hands off each other just for a minute?”

Sabrina’s eyes almost shot daggers towards him.

“I never said anything to you or Prudence when you were making-out around the whole house.”

“That’s not true and you know it.” Ambrose refuted her “You were quite annoying about it, so now you can’t stop me from getting my revenge.”

She shook her head.

“You are the worst.”

“And you should fix that lipstick of yours before you go out or everyone’s going to know what you’ve been up to, lovebirds.” Ambrose added cheerfully before leaving the room.

“Can I kill him?”

“You will regret doing it later.” Nick replied giving her a brief kiss, it seemed like he would never stop having fun with the fights between the Spellman cousins.

“I hate when you are right.”

He smiled at her.

Sabrina took some minutes to fix her makeup before leaving the room. There were more people than she had expected waiting to buy her new book, she looked over to her aunts who had traveled from Greendale just to see her, Ambrose and Prudence were there too because the release of Sabrina’s book had coincided with a trip they had already planned.

She took a seat at the table set up for the signing and waited for the first person in line.

It wasn't a big event, she was just starting to make a name for herself in the publishing world, but she already had a small fan base she was proud of.

“Auntie,” Sabrina said when she saw that the last person in line was Hilda “you know I could sign you one for free.”

“Nonsense,” she replied with a gesture with her hand “I wanted to buy it. And by the way, Cee told me to remind you that he hopes you can do a book signing at the store too.”

“I'd love to do that,” she looked away from her aunt to look for Nick, he seemed to feel her gaze on him because he looked in her direction almost immediately. “Hey, Nick, how about we travel to Greendale again?”

“Just tell me when and I'll be there.” He replied with a wink.

Sabrina shook her head.

“You tell me; you are the one supposed to run my schedule.”

“But you are the boss.” He insisted “Say the day and I'll take care of your schedule.”

“You are the best.”

Hilda was looking at them with a smile on her lips.

“You look happy.” she commented to Sabrina.

“I am.”

Her aunt smiled lovingly at her.

“I’m happy for you, my love.”

After the event was over, everyone headed to a small Thai restaurant in downtown that Nick and Sabrina had recently discovered and which was becoming one of their favorites.

After a toast to Sabrina and some surprising words from Zelda the afternoon passed between happy talks and laughter. It was like that every time the family gathered in the same place.

Sabrina was so happy to have such a loving and supportive family.

She was happy because she knew that Nick would one day be part of it too.

Later, the aunts were in their way back to Greendale with the promise of seeing Sabrina and Nick the next weekend for a signing at Cee’s, and Ambrose and Prudence had gone on a tour around the city before returning to their hotel. Sabrina and Nick were walking to her apartment, he liked being now able to hold her hand just because he could, just because he wanted to.

“I’m home, Salem.” she announced when she opened the door, the cat jumped from the back of the couch and walked towards her meowing as if he was greeting her too, he rubbed against her leg purring happily “I’m going to make some coffee.” Sabrina said towards Nick.

“Let me help you.”

She shook her head.

“Always the gentleman,” she said with a smile “it’s ok Scratch. Go to sit, I’ll be right back.” she gave him a soft peck on the lips before walking towards the kitchen.

Nick went to the couch and took a sit, Salem followed him and sat up next to him, he pushed his head towards Nick’s hand asking to be petted. He scratched the cat behind the ears.

“Who could say you two would end up being best buddies.” Sabrina commented returning from the kitchen. Nick shrugged.

“We bond during the holidays.”

She walked towards the couch and handed him one of the mugs she was carrying. The aroma of coffee lingered in the air, she sat with her legs bent under her body and her head on Nick’s shoulder. Salem jumped down the couch when he realized there would be no more petting for him.

They stayed there, sipping their coffees in silence. Sabrina liked those quiet moments, she enjoyed spending time with Nick, she enjoyed doing a lot of things with Nick.

When she finished her coffee she snuggled closer to him. Sitting like this with him was beginning to become one of her favorite things.

“So… Greendale next week.”

He nodded.

“Do you think you could clear some days of your schedule?” he looked at her with a raised eyebrow, not quite following her “So we could stay a little longer.” She explained.

“And have the chance to eat more of Hilda’s food?” she chuckled “I’m in.”

“Sometimes I think you date me only because you like my aunt’s food.”

He brought his hand to her chin, she looked at his eyes.

“Hilda’s food is a pretty good incentive, but I love you more.” Nick got dangerously close to her lips.

“I love you too.” She whispered against his lips.

He kissed her and it was like the whole world disappeared. Sabrina knew she would never get tired of that sensation.

“It’s getting late,” Nick commented some time later “I should get going.”

Sabrina didn’t want him to leave and she let him know.

“Or…” she said “you could stay.”

“Sabrina…”

She moved until she was sitting on her knees, her arms around his shoulders. Sabrina nibbled her lower lip for and instant before looking directly at Nick’s eyes.

“Stay.” She insisted.

There was something in her brown warm eyes that made him unable to say no to her. Nick nodded slowly.

It was she who started the kiss this time.

At first it was sweet and slow but when one of his hands went under her blouse touching her bare skin it was as if he ignited something inside her.

Something that had been asleep for a long time.

The kiss grew hungry, her hands greedy.

She unbuttoned his shirt, her hand slipping down his torso making him shiver.

“Are you sure?” Nick asked, his forehead resting on hers, his breathing as harsh as hers.

Sabrina pulled away a bit, her eyes searching his.

“I'm sure.”

He leaned closer to claim her lips again.


End file.
